Lessons of a Hyuuga
by GromHellscream12
Summary: What if Hanabi Hyuuga was subject to Naruto's personality? Would she change from the upper class brat to a great freind of Naruto? Or perhaps something more?
1. Thoughts Provoked

Author Notes: Sorry it took so long to update, I just had to finish the last streach of the school year. The kicker is when I finally looked back at what I wrote in this fic before, I said to myself 'I can write better'. It will still have Naruto and Hanabi going into the world of StarCraft, I just think the begining should have Hanabi's point of view. After all, it is called 'Lessons of a Hyuuga' for a reason.   
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"It must be a curse or something." 

"Yeah, why else would 'both' of the Hyuuga heirs be so...pathetic?" 

Hanabi didn't know when it first began. Maybe it was always there, just not in her 'earshot' before now. Clenching her fists, she wondered if those two Branch House sentries 'knew' she was still awake. If they did, than they must 'want' her to activate their curse seals. 

"You have to wonder which is 'less' of an heir. After all, Hinata-dono may be a timid weakling, but Hanabi-dono seems totally mindless!" 

Feeling herself go rigid, Hanabi couldn't help but whisper heatedly into her bed, "'Mindless'? How can they possibly determine I'm 'mindless'?" 

"No kidding. She constantly loses to Hinata-dono whenever they do strategy games like shoji, chess, or checkers. Not to 'mention' the fact that I've yet to hear of her having a 'personality'! If Haishi-sama tells her to do something, she does it with little to no expression on her face. At least some 'annoyance', for crying out loud! We can't have a leader with no individuality, it would be the end of the Hyuuga!" 

For half a second, she felt her jaws ache from her gritting them so hard. She could almost 'feel' her rage 'leaking' out of her body. Just as she was about to jump out of bed and show those gossiping fools some 'personality' in a violent manner, their next words made her freeze in shock. 

"Hinata-dono is definitely going to inherit, no matter 'how' disappointed Haishi-sama is of her." 

"That disappointment can't last much longer. She apparently went one-on-one with Neji-kun during the Chunin preliminaries, and actually held her 'own' against him!" 

Blinking rapidly, Hanabi just couldn't see how that was 'possible'! Hinata didn't have an aggressive bone in her body, or a spark of pride in her blood! Whenever she won in a strategy game, she almost tried to hide in her fluffy jacket...why 'did' she wear that sweater anyway? In the Hyuuga compound at that, where just a small spark of chakra would go as far as seeing through the 'skin' if desired? No matter how much Hanabi tried when she 'sparred' with her sister, she couldn't infuriate her elder. Hinata just blocked again and again, sometimes lucky blows piercing through and forming bruises, making those who hadn't seen the actual 'fight' think that the younger was a 'genious' in comparison. How the entire Hyuuga clan could be so blind was 'amazing'! Hanabi wasn't that impressive, it was just that she couldn't find a way to 'anger' her sister. Make her fight 'back' with some kind of 'fire', and break that insipid wall of 'shyness'! If there was one thing Hanabi wanted, it was a rivalry of some sort. Considering the fact that the Hyuuga clan as a whole rarely associated with others, and she wasn't old enough to leave the compound without an escort, finding a way to make Hinata fight back was the best bet to experience 'rivalry'. Rivalry, the thing that was said to bring out the best and worst in people. 

"By 'holding her own', do you mean blocking most of Neji-kun's attacks?" 

Twitching, the young girl felt like hitting herself. Now 'that' she could see all too well. If that was it, no wonder Hinata had been hospitalized! 

"Actually, she fought like a berserker! Hinata-dono barely blocked at all, and landed a fair amount of hits herself!" 

"On the self-taught warrior of the Branch House? The person that the village elders call the quickest growing genius to ever come from the Hyuuga clan?" 

"Yeah, and I even saw some bruises on his right lung! Maybe she landed those hits 'before' he started slamming her heart?" 

Gasping, sitting up with a burst, Hanabi said to herself, "Impossible! That would be conceivably 'leathal', why would ni-sama hit Neji-san there?! Was something he said so galling to 'her' that she lost 'control'?!" 

Jumping out of bed, the young girl thought if she should change out of her pajamas: blue shorts and a black sleeveless shirt. No, Hinata was probably still in bed too, nothing formal was required. Sliding her door open, noting the surprised jump the guards did at the sight of an 'awake' heiress, she muttered coldly, "Your comments about ni-sama have sparked my 'mindless' interests, and I feel that makes your transgressions today...ignorable." 

Starting to walk by them, hearing their relieved sighs, she snarled - or as close to a snarl as an eight year old girl can manage, "The next time I hear 'any' Branch House member gossip about either Hinata's or my own chances as an 'heiress', the seal will be the 'least' of that fool's problems! I'll cut out their tongues and nail the rotting flesh to a random wall as a 'warning' to every other moron who 'thinks' they have the right to be so 'flippant'!" 

Stopping in her tracks, turning around to glare at the shivering guards, she yelled, "DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?!" 

The two guards dashed off like frightened squirls, and she couldn't keep herself from smirking a little. That might not stop the gossiping, but at the very least that would make them think twice about 'where' they hold such ridiculous conversations.   
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Hanabi felt herself hesitate in front of the door. She'd never entered her sister's room, much less had an extended conversation with her. And here she was, preparing herself to do both, with the objective of finding out how to piss off Hinata. 

Hanabi muttered to herself angrily, "I have to calm down. My sister is many things, but she is not a brainless husk. I can have an intelligent conversation with her. All I need to do is open the door, and get her attention. After that, I can let things flow on their own." 

Swallowing a bit of anxiety, she grabbed the handle for the door and slid it open as quietly as she could. The moment she saw in interior of the room, Hanabi couldn't even manage a confused 'huh'. Whatever she was expecting, this was 'not' it. 

Two pedistals were set up in the middle, each with a different notebook. Near one was a black pen, the other a set of colored pens. That wasn't the sort of set-up for mindless doodles after a long day, it actually looked like a hobby that brought joy. Strange, Hinata never carried pens or notebooks with her outside of the mansion. Why not bring them along in case of a dull moment? 

On the ground lay clothes of various sizes and styles. Some the older girl had probably grown out of. Others had just worn out, multiple rips and holes covering them. Why leave cloths that couldn't be worn on the ground to make a mess? It couldn't be for sentimental reasons, she couldn't remember Hinata wearing even 'half' of that stuff. 

Hung on a coathanger, why 'that' was there was a mystery, was a set of three coats. The sweater that the older girl usually wore zippered up, just as baggey up there as it was on her body. The other two, however, seemed strange to Hanabi. One looked like a buttoned-up jean jacket, the brown collar folded down, and the pockets overflowing with lined papers. The other was a part red, part orange trenchcoat, unzippered, the pattern of flames evident all over. Weird, she never 'could' recall Hinata wearing anything other than the one modest sweater, even when walking in the mansion. The trenchcoat probably would gain more attention than if she was 'naked'! 

The part that really surprised her was Hinata's bed, lacking the shy girl and a small note taped to the headboard. Walking up, reading the note, Hanabi felt her eyes widen. How much did she not know about her own 'sister'? 

Gone for training, will be back before dawn. Right, as if anyone will read this when nobody ever cares enough to knock on the door. Okay, that was bitter. Maybe I should stop writing now. 

Hanabi felt her stomach start to sting, as if she'd just eaten a badly cooked bird. Was she actually...depressed by the fact she didn't know Hinata? By the fact that this note seemed surprising? Sure, she'd never gone to her sister's room before, but that didn't mean that other people in the clan didn't come once in a while...right? 

Shaking her head, she whispered softly, "Oh please, as if Hinata is anything more than a minor fasination. What good is a sister like 'her' anyway? She doesn't assert herself, hence should not be 'worth' my time...I need to get back to bed." 

Almost sluggishly, she left the room with thousands of questions flooding her mind, all of them impossible to ask or answer. Hanabi probably took ten minutes to reach her bed and lay down, despite the fact that the rooms were less than twenty feet apart. 

Shutting her eyes tightly, she grumbled to herself, "Right, Hinata's buisness is her own. Besides, what do I have to do when she's such a wimp."   
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A loud crash startled Hanabi awake, her groggy mind barely able to think straight. There were multiple small cracks caused by the crash, like wood of some kind was broken through. What made it even stranger was the fact that it came from 'above', did that mean someone tore the roof? Wait, she had been woken up by a 'sound', and was awake enough to identify it? The one fault her father 'sternly' chatased her about was she slept too deeply! If something had rung out loud enough for 'her' to wake up, then every Hyuuga in the mansion was probably rushing to deal with it! Childish excitement built in her gut despite herself. Watching the idiots trying to break in get knocked around was 'not' something she wanted to miss. 

Almost bounding to the door, she gripped the handle, ready to throw it open. A sudden cold chill swept across her neck, making her gasp, and her spine shiver. 

Looking down, seeing a kunai grazing her Adam's apple, Hanabi felt her insides twist around violently, and her muscles felt parylized. Oh god, what was going on? What happened to the guards? Weren't they on twelve hour shifts that were changed every nine-o'-clock? The Hyuuga mansion was supposed to be impregnable, the patrols all using the Byakugan and able to notice anything! How could someone get in the second floor and reach 'her' room without being stopped? If she'd been in a calmer set of mind, she would have tried thinking of some way out of this, but nothing could have prepared her for what came next. 

A deep voice came from behind her, assumingly from the man ready to kill her. "Where is Hyuuga Hinata? Answer quickly, and you may live child. Answer wrong, and your wind-pipe will be pierced. Would you really want to die so brutally at such a young age?" 

For the first time in her life, Hanabi stuttered. Not a surprised sputter, or angry stream of nonsense, but a full on, timid stutter one usually associated with Hinata. "H...how d-did you-" 

The man finished her question for her, clearly amused. "How did I get by all the guards and enter one of the Head Family's most protected areas? It was simple enough. My partner made a distraction, everyone focused on him and the chaos he left in his wake. With all the Hyuuga family focused on a problem from 'above', it was embarrassingly easy for me to sneak in from 'below'. Now, where is Hinata?" 

Hanabi felt the knife push a little firmer onto her skin, and she managed to say, "Sh...she's five d-doors to the r...right." 

The blade disappeared from her throat, and she fell to the ground, legs not moving in the frantic dash she wanted to. Her lower body just felt...limp. Shooting a hand to feel her throat, the girl was releived to find no cuts. Turning around, staring at the intruder in the eyes, her shaken mind tried to analyze him as her father taught. Black cloak with red cloud patterns, hiding his build well. Maybe a uniform for some special group. Reddish iris, with a trio of black tear-drop shaped lines came out of the equally black pupil. An Uchiha...but weren't they almost extinct? Wasn't Sakuke Uchiha the last of them? And why keep the Sharigan activated in such a mundane task as this, didn't he care about possible eye damage? His cheeks seemed a little thin, strange indents near his eyes almost making him look tired. She might have thought his body was poorly fed by that, then Hanabi saw the man pull up his right sleeve. Hand putting the kunai slowly into a hidden pocket in the sleeve, she stared in surprise at the muscle she saw there. Well developed, some light scars, and the skin seemed a little strained. Like it wasn't meant to hold that much inside. As he finished putting the blade back in its pocket, she caught a better glimpse of the hand. Purple nail polish, calluses from some harsh work, and the skin looked a lot more loose than the rest of him. Why would his palms look normal, and the rest of him look like his skin was barely enough to cover his body? This Uchiha was a colection of mysteries. 

The man stared at her, and muttered, "I'd suggest you stay in here, child. Unless of course you 'want' to look outside, and risk being slain in the chaos." 

Before Hanabi could get herself steady enough to 'kneel', a new crash made her fall to her butt. For a few seconds, she thought the resounding rumble was going on longer than that noise's echo, then she noticed the man walk off like nothing had happened. Staring at her hands, seeing them trembling, the Hyuuga heiress made a realization. She was...shaking? It wasn't cold, so that didn't make sense! A 'normal' person would react like that in fear, and a Hyuuga can't become afraid...the Hyuuga clan never showed fear...right? 

As if to prove it to herself, she unsteadily got to her feet and adjusted her pajama's, trying to walk with some 'dignity' back to her bed. Strange, her pants seemed a little more...heavy than before. Warmer than before. Feh, probably had something to do with...oh no. Had she possibly...had the stress of having someone hold her life in his hands... 

Looking down, she squinted at her pajama bottoms. They weren't as...white as they were before. A little...brownish, really. Gulping, hand moving shakily to her waist, she stuck it in her pants, feeling something not-quite-solid, and shot the hand out with a jolt as everything added up. 

Feet giving out on her again, Hanabi landed face first into the floor. Wincing at the impact, she stared at the hand. Brown gunk stuck to her fingers, warm, and 'certainly' wasn't chocolate. Feeling the need to verbalize her numbing thoughts, she whispered, "I can't believe it. I'm supposed to be part of the Hyuuga Head family. How can an heiress from such 'noble' backgrounds 'sully' herself with...with...I don't even know 'what' to call it! This is 'rediculous'! I know the basic forms of Jyuuken, memorized the positioning of the chakra system, and can describe in 'detail' the full four-hundred year history of the Hyuuga clan! All that, and I do not 'know' the 'name' for a 'simple' bodily 'function'?! And what made me 'stutter' earlier?! Is the idea of death all that scary that I degenerated into something 'Hinata' does?! This is entirely TOO HUMILIATING! Not even that FAILURE would sink THIS LOW! NOT EVEN HINATA LOSES CONTROL OF HER BLADDER!" 

Breathing hard, she waited a few moments for someone to yell that this was reprehensible behavior for a Hyuuga heiress...and received silence. No sounds to tell of a distant battle, no handler coming to check on her, nothing. For the first time she could remember, the mansion was quiet as the grave, and she felt...alone. Truly isolated. 

Shaking again, not even questioning her fear, Hanabi weakly muttered to herself, "I don't understand, what's happening? Why would they go after Hinata when I was right 'here'? That man had the kunai to my throat, and could have left the building with a Byakugan capable, unmarked Hyuuga. It doesn't make 'sense'. Going through this much trouble, assaulting the most 'powerful' clan in Konoha, why search for the 'failure' Hyuuga when they could have just grabbed 'me' and finished a lot quicker? If they wanted some of the scrolls, or other items the clan's been entrusted with protecting, why search for 'people' when this entire floor has such things scattered all over?" 

The quiet was starting to make her already jarred nerves crack. If the fighting was going on elsewhere in the mansion, there'd be at 'least' the subtle cracking sound of strained wood, or wind blowing through the window. Absolute silence was...foreign to her. No annoying bugs, no footsteps, no conversation just outside her door, like she had turned deaf. Taking her right hand and digging her left hand's short nails in, she began to scratch, the sensation keeping her from breaking down in tears. Assuring her that this wasn't some elaborate illusion, that she was still in the Hyuuga manor, and someone should come in to check her soon. The intruders wouldn't last, they were outnumbered and overmatched. Not even an Uchiha could beat a well trained Hyuuga...right? 

Suddenly she remembered one of the Chunin exam matches: Uzumaki Naruto against Hyuuga Neji. An 'orphan', concidered to be a classless roughian, with no family history or bloodlines, defeated the 'genious' of the Hyuuga clan. That blond had won even though he had 'less' than five months of mission experience, when Neji had 'fourteen'. Was the inborn Hyuuga strength...exaggerated? Was Hinata really 'worth' something, and all the talk of being a 'failure' a blindness to a truth? That 'Hyuuga' were still 'human', and barely different from anyone else? Than why did they generally treat 'all' non-Hyuuga's like lower beings and not be repremanded? Some gained the respect of the clan, but that respect made them called 'almost Hyuuga'. There were too many questions that needed to be answered, and she couldn't deal with them all at once. 

Eyes starting to feel moist, the usually proud child whimpered. "Anyone, any 'thing', help me. What's going on, shouldn't the ANBU be coming in to stop this? Hasn't the Hyuuga clan done enough over the years to earn some 'basic' respect? Doesn't the fact that we've lasted longer than the Fire Nation itself earn at least a 'little' admiration?" 

At that moment, the death-like silence was broken by metal clangs and wood creaking. Crawling slowly to the door, opening it, Hanabi's mind almost shut down completely. There was her father, Hiashi, the Head of the Hyuuga clan, clashing with a blue skinned man holding a weird sword. Two details made it especially shocking: the Hyuuga leader was radiating fury when 'he' lectured calm composures no matter 'what', and was fighting with a 'wakizashi' without his 'Byakugan' activated! Sure, she knew he used to be an ANBU, and probably caught some non-Hyuuga technuiques over the years. Yet it didn't change the fact that the very 'symbol' of the Hyuuga was fighting like some 'commoner', and was...actually more impressive because of it! 

Something sparked in her mind, something that felt far too close what she heard Hinata say some time after her first week in the shinobi academy. Quietly, she whispered, "To make a name for oneself? To be known for...what 'I' do, not what my ancestors did or my position requires? Go...beyond the clan, and find my own...way? Hinata tried, and has become an embarassment to the Hyuuga in every area...is she 'better' than me for having 'tried'? For having the initial courage to look for her own way? Is that what the guards meant when they said I was mindless? The fact that I never tried?" 

For some strange reason, Hanabi felt that silence would have been a better answer than clanging steel... 


	2. Actions Provoked

  
Thank you for all the positive feedback. In order to prevent people from saying I'm making a mistake, I'll tell you up front that I'm making Kisame taller, older, and heavier. I know full well his height in the series is around 6' 4", his weight is around 183 lbs, and he's fourty-one years old. I just feel for story telling perposes, I have to tweek it a little. So please, don't try to correct any of my numbers, or my 'facts' about their past. It doesn't matter if it's for Kisame, or anyone else. This is a story, and a writer needs to be able to let his imagination take over to make it flow. 

On a side note, I must appologise that it took so long to post this. For two weeks, I was off on a game design course and unable to give as much attention to my writing as I would have liked. As a further kick in the ass, my internet connection at home has been on the fritz. Hopefully for us all, that won't be the case for much longer. 

We now return you to your scheduled program.

* * *

At a pause in the fighting, Hanabi looked closly at each of the combatants, starting with her father. After all, it wasn't every day she saw him in a life-or-death struggle. 

Breathing hard, the top part of Hiashi's sleeping robes hung loosely over his waist. Was that for more comfort, or had that happened accidently during the battle? Concidering the fact that the cloth didn't seem torn at any point, probably comfort. Hanabi couldn't help but ask herself why something so subtle would help in a battle like this. After all, such light robes wouldn't hinder movement in the least. Shaking her head, she shifted her eyes to the next point of interest. 

He let his right hand free of the wakizashi, shifting stray hairs out of his eyes. Huh, Hyuuga's were ambidexterious to be sure, but why bother? He could see through it if he wanted, but than he hadn't activated the Bakyugan. Another strange detail was the lack of calouses on his hand. Just doing unarmed training would have made the skin look scarred, much less the armed training he'd obviously had. Why wasn't his hand in any way rough, why did it look so smooth? 

Small bits of blood stuck to his short sword, probably from either hurting the other warrior, or blood flinging off the larger weapon in the earlier clashes. It was difficult to tell either way, seeing that the blood was starting to dry. Raising an eyebrow, Hanabi wondered why her father was letting his weapon dull with such a rudimentary stain. All it would have taken to get the blade cleaned was to flick his wrist a little for the red liquid to scatter off. If something wasn't done soon though, it would probably need hours of heavy-duty soaps to be capable of cutting anything. Even then, the wakizashi would never be as sharp as it had been before. 

Seeing movement from the blue skinned man, she darted her eyes. He let his left hand loose from the zanbatou, streaching it out. A loosening motion during a battle? Was this minor gesture, as well as her father shifting hair out of his eyes, a subtle sign of respect? Or were the two just pushing themselves to the limit against one another? 

Both the large blade and the swordman's skin almost looked like scales. The weapon might have that design for some advantage, with multiple edges and blades on a single side. Still, that didn't explain the man's skin. Was he a member of some clan she didn't know about? Doubtful, but not entirely impossible. 

His robes were the same pattern as the Uchiha's, clearly this was the partner the Sharigan user mentioned. Looking higher, seeing his headband, it began to make a little more sense. Ah, a missing nin from Mizu nation. So this group was an alliance among criminals. There were some tales of Mizu Jounin shinobi going through physical augmentations. The less human the shinobi looked, the longer since the rank was attained. Concidering his skin color and tone, he probably had been given the augmentations twenty to thirty years ago. 

Hanabi tried to think of all the famous warriors who lasted that long. This man didn't fit any of those discriptions, and he certainly wasn't one of the three Senin. Either he'd changed a lot since betraying his country, or his accomplishments before going rogue weren't that impressive. Yet if that was the case, why did he have a weapon that was clearly forged to personal prefrences? 

The man spoke in a joy filled voice, breaking Hanabi from her thoughts. "Well, well. It seems your just as good now as back in your prime, Hiashi-kun. Then again, the famed Byakko-giri was never known for relaxing. How you can keep your skills so sharp in your supposed 'retirement' is curious, but still enjoyable." 

The young girl didn't know what surprised her more: the fact that this man seemed familiar with her father, or the fact that his teeth looked like they were 'all' canines. Wait, 'Byakko-giri' was her father's nickname? 'Byakko' was the name of the hunting tiger god of the east, and 'giri' was a word best defined as eternal duty. Why wasn't she aware that Hiashi, clan head of the Hyuuga, retired ANBU leader, and her own 'father', was called Byakko-giri?! 

Hiashi chuckled lightly, retorting, "It's equally interesting how you have made the Samehada seem so similar to your own body. Tell me, why would a member of the Shinobigatana go rogue? Was it because you wished to find worthy opponents, or some such thing?" 

One of the Seven Swords...that narrowed it down. Was this the famed Zabuza? No, he'd become a Jounin around eight years ago, and 'this' was not his style. Kirigajure no Kijin Zabuza had gained his reputation from stealth. This man was loud, clearly powerful, and apparently enjoyed direct confrontations. Not too uncommon in Mizu, from what she'd been told, so that wasn't too informative. 

Smirk growing, the tall blue warrior mumbled gruffly, "Yeah, something like that. There's only so much you can accomplish, even when you 'are' a country's elite. I've trained myself to the bone since leaving Mizu. Tested myself against the best in the world, with varying sucess. My time is coming, and the world will know the 'true' meaning of power." 

Raising an eyebrow, Hiashi looked a little surprised. "The one called 'Kaijin' feels the need to prove his strength? You were the most respected shinobi of your nation next to the Mizukage." 

'Kaijin'? Who held a nickname that meant 'scourge'? Then it hit her: why her father seemed familiar with this man, and the age factor. Hoshigaki Kisame, a proverbial monster in every sense. How could Hanabi have not 'realized' just 'who' this guy was? Memories flitted through her head about him from old Bingo Book reports she'd read up.Around two-hundred and sixteen centimeters tall, a hundred and sixty-seven kilograms of muscle. This man first gained attention in the Chunin Exams over fourty-five years ago, drowning his opponent in a puddle of his own blood while laughing. And when he gained the rank of Jounin, he'd become one of the first to have his body altered. If he was that old, looked so 'inhuman', and the tales of his brutality held any truth to them... 

Kisame moved his left hand to grip the Samehada, his face turning serious. "I wish I could continue this fight to a definitive end, but that's not possible at this time." 

As if that was a signal, the Uchiha crashed in next to his partner with what could be called a preturbed expression. Even then, it was subtle. If Hanabi didn't have such good eyesight, she might have thought he was still totally calm. "The girl isn't here. Apparently, she went off to train without telling anyone in the mansion." 

Kisame audibly gapped in surprise. "Damn, shouldn't the Hyuuga clan keep a closer watch of an heiress?! Just perfect, our little 'distraction' can't hold out for much longer. Could we possibly get to her before we're swarmed with ANBU, Itachi?" 

So, that man was Itachi. Hanabi had heard some things about him before the fall of the Uchiha clan. Rising through the ranks faster than anyone before ever had, a-hundred-eighty-three centimeters tall, hundred-and-nine kilograms of muscle, and seen as the greatest shinobi Konoha had ever birthed until his reported 'death'...clearly that was exaggerated. How did that man escape the horrific massicure of the Uchiha? From what little she could learn about the tragity, everyone but Sasuke was slain. Man, woman, and child; total genocide. Wait, he was in a missing nin organization. Either he had a hand in the killing, or he went rogue to kill whoever did it much like Sasuke had less than a month ago. 

Standing a full head taller than Hiashi, the Uchiha said, "We have lost our opportunity for now. Even if we knew where Hinata was, our mizu-bushin can't have much left in them. When they've disappated, we have at least one minute before ANBU teams regroup. It would be best if we withdrew and went to other buisness until another opportunity rises up." 

Gripping his wakizashi firmly, Hiashi smirked at the pair. "I won't allow you to withdraw. Hyuuga blood has been spilt this night, and I shall do all in my power to prevent your escape. Facing the 'Scourge' and 'Forsaken' at once isn't promising, but all I need is to hold you for a few moments. Besides, Itachi-kun, things have changed. Latest record for ANBU squads would make it closer to 'half' of a minute." 

Itachi's eyes seemed to twitch either from annoyance or surprise. "Ah, that means speed is of the essance in our escape. Perhaps this will convince you to let us go?" 

At that same instant, Hanabi's blood felt like it dropped temperature. She couldn't explain it, but something was happening that she could almost taste. Staring at Itachi, seeing his eyes spinning like wheels, the icy feeling was soon replaced by a mind-numbing headache. Grabbing her ears, legs giving out under her, she heard a pair of wails. The first seemed to be coming from her father, screeching agony she could only shiver imagining. Yet the other seemed more frightening for different reasons. The other came from her 'own' mouth, sounding more like a fury filled roar than a scream. Why was she becoming limp and angry? What just happened? 

Falling to her knees, hearing her father gracelessly to the floor, a foreign thought ripped through her mind. 'I will take what is mine, Uchiha. Nothing you can say will change that.' 

Just like that, the pain in her skull disapeared. What...just happened? Slowly getting back to her feet, she heard Itachi's breath hitch. 

Kisame spoke softly, voice sounding like he'd seen a ghost. "How can she be getting up? That brat was caught in the Tsukuyomi, wasn't she?" 

Tsukuyomi? She was caught in something called 'Moon Phase'? Hanabi shook her head, trying to clear it up enough to think. Why did they seem surprised? 

Itachi's voice sounded strangely...proud? Why would he be 'proud' of someone not being disabled by his attack? "This girl...she said her name was Hanabi. Wasn't that the name of the other heiress?" 

When did he learn her name? Why did he say she gave her name, she'd said nothing of the sort to him! Finally standing upright, breathing strangely harsh from exertion, she raised her head to look at the rogues. They hadn't moved a muscle. If they were so worried about time, why weren't they already running? What was so fasinating about her after the Uchiha made her releive herself in her pants not too long ago? 

Kisame seemed to have a revelation, muttering, "She looks curious, confused...I'll be damned. Maybe she forgot what just happened? Her mind temporarily blanking out the trauma?" 

What trauma? What could emotionally shock her more than the earlier revelation about Hyuuga's being the same as other humans? 

Itachi smirked at that, whispering, "Yes, perhaps the little spitfire doesn't know the torture she went through. I look forward to when she 'does' recall what happened in the Tsukuyomi, the child has some potential." 

The pair turned around, looking ready to leave. Almost like a parting shot, the Uchiha said, "Perhaps some day we'll meet again, Hanabi-chan. I look forward to seeing how you utilize that inner fire." 

The pair disapeared, leaving Hanabi's already shaken brain racking for answers to hundreds of questions. 'Inner fire', forgetting tortures, 'potential'? Blinking, putting a hand on her forhead to help herself think, the young girl was unnaturally lost. Never before had she been so baffled by what someone had said. Even when she'd delt with a drunk, there was always some manner of sense among the weird babbling. 

A voice from behind her knocked the thoughts out of her head. "This is Hawk-twenty-nine. Have found a young Hyuuga child near downed Hyuuga warrior." 

Turning to the source of the voice, she saw an ANBU male with a small radio. His bird-like mask looked as if it was sad about something. Not too long ago, Hanabi might have said haugtily 'what took so long, are they recruiting incompetants into the ANBU'. Instead, she asked, "Is Hinata safe?" 

Another annomaly to add among many in the young girl's mind. Why didn't she refer to her as 'nee-sama' as usual? If it was because of fear or something like that, her voice would have sounded more shaken. Why ask if she was 'safe' when the rogues clearly hadn't found her? 

The ANBU promptly changed frequencies on the radio. "Requesting a search inside Konoha village for a missing Hyuuga female by the name of Hinata. Suggest mission classification tazunebito - hitorimono - houi. Girl is most likely from the Head Family. Hawk-twenty-nine, yonaki-no-supea squad out." 

Yonaki-no-supea...'crying night of the spear'. Huh, actually a nice name for a defense squad. The man's suggestion sounded less interesting. 'Missing person - single person - encirclement.' Most likely the encirclement meant spread out to the gates and search until reaching the center of the village. The other two were clearly something you write on a report later. 

The man's voice became less official when he put the radio away. "Hey, you mind telling me what you saw happen here? My squad are reporting sights of three dead Hyuuga, one Hyuuga kid with a slash across his eyes, and dozens of chakra exhausted Hyuuga warriors bleeding from their eyes." 

Gulping at the idea that so 'many' were taken down so 'quickly', Hanabi tried to explain as clearly as she could, "There were two extraordinary rogues. Apparently Hoshigaki Kisame made a lot of noise to prevent his partner, Uchiha Itachi, from being distracted. They were looking for Hinata, but couldn't find her. The pair left soon before you arrived here, ANBU-shushou." 

The masked man nodded. "Thank you, the Hokage will be very interested in this. It isn't the first time those two have sneaked in the village, but their reason for coming seems to have altered, as well as their strategy." 

Blinking rapidly, the young girl couldn't help asking dumbly, "They entered before?" 

Nodding, the ANBU walked to Hiashi while explaining. "It was a few months before Sasuke's defection. The pair managed to defeat three of our best Jounins, and were about to assault the fourth before they left. Their target was moved out of the village to keep it out of their hands, but they must have thought something more...important was here. After all, why else would they change from sneaking around searching, fighting only when met with opposition, to assaulting directly?"

* * *

Hearing the door to her office knock, Tsunade paused. Great, another surprise for the day. As if there weren't enough as it was. The false attack on the Academy, coupled with the ambush of the Hyuuga mansion had swamped her office with reports, complaints about defences, and a few 'suggestions' of how to protect the village. 

Sighing at the insanity of a barely started morning, she yelled a 'little' more loudly than she meant to. "COME IN!" 

The door opened with a speed she thought impossible as someone she 'really' didn't expect to see dashed in. Huh, what was Hiashi doing out of the hospital so quickly? Shouldn't all the medical discharge papers arrive to her office promptly? Oh, right. Chaotic days meant overflowing paperwork. Maybe the discharge came with the unfinished pile on the left? Or was it the right? 

The Hyuuga daimyo closed the door behind him more softly, his body looking uncharacteristically tense. The moment the door was shut, he spun around and said as bluntly as possible, "Hokage-sama, I may have a plan that will prevent a similar situation." 

Great, another 'suggestion' on how to do her job. Not bothering to hide her annoyance, she raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't you have just sent a form in like everyone else? I already have four Hyuuga elders sending me sugar-coated attacks on my competance. Ibiki wants to shut everything down until we find out how they got in and create a proper defence. ANBU hunters are asking permission to enter the mountains in their search, risking our shaky truce with the Ground Nation. ANBU defence squads are sending at least twenty different reports of what 'they' saw happen. As for Gai and his remaining two genins, 'they' want to chase after Kisame 'personally' for blinding Neji!" 

Wincing at the last bit of news, the Hyuuga leader asked, "Is the damage perminant?" 

Face softening, the blond woman shook her head. "I'm not sure how much of it is. His right eye was ruined beyond even my capabilities. Kisame's sword might not have touched the other at all, but the blood from the right eye flowed inside. It will take some time before we know if his other eye can be saved, but we do know one thing: his Bakyugan will never fully recover. It's very likely he might need to train himself in a different taijutsu style. Otherwise he'd be fighting like the amature we both know he isn't." 

Nodding sadly, Hiashi muttered, "Fate has once again damned my nephew. First when his father was taken, and now he has been robbed of sight. I shall speak with the council. Perhaps with the loss of an eye, they will find it acceptable to remove his seal." 

Blinking in disbeleif, Tsunade had to clarify this. "Are you seriously suggesting something so...radical when you represent the most conservative clan in the country?" 

Hiashi nodded again. "The origin behind the seal was to prevent enemy shinobi from surgectly attaining our extraordinary eyesight. Unlike the Uchiha clan, our eyes have always been hunted in 'sets'. A lone eye would be concidered 'damaged goods', for the chakra pathways to the other are necessary for the Bakyugan." 

Feeling some respect form for this man, the Hokage asked, "Do you think he'd want an artifical eye in its place?" 

Chuckling lightly, the raven haired daimyo retorted, "Do you honesty beleive someone so antisocial would accept something that he might view as a crutch?" 

Smiling a little herself, she had to agree. Even when he was saved from death, the young boy had snapped at medical personel for saying he wasn't strong enough for solid foods. He'd covinced his team-mate Lee to get him some chicken...and consiquently had gotten saminella. 

Hiashi removed the hollow humor from his voice, returning to his original point. "There is no way to truly prevent shinobi of such caliber from entering again. Close one door, and they'll find another we didn't notice. To prevent such an assault again while we deal with the Sound nation, might I suggest having my daughters more 'mobile', with a more 'experienced' guard." 

Something was nagging at her about this idea, but she wasn't sure what it was 'exactly'. "You know as well as I do that all Jounin and ANBU teams are indispensible when we're so close to war. The only reason I can't call it a full war yet is only because three out of the five most 'powerful' nations in the world have motivation to attack 'both' sides. Any battles started may help decide which side some of these nations aid. I'd rather not do anything rashly, but removing 'any' of the more experienced shinobi would mean one less to hold off Orochimaru's next attack." 

Smirking, the Hyuuga explained, "That is why I suggest sending my daughters under the protection of the Toad senin." 

Almost falling out of her chair in surprise, Tsunade felt her mind spinning, "Won't your clan's elders reject that? Not only is he the most 'notorious' pervert in the world, he's also training Uzumaki Naruto! A boy that, last time I checked, was 'despised' by the elders!" 

Smirk growing, Hiashi nodded. "If they knew who would be 'near' Hinata and Hanabi, and who 'suggested' it...they would denounce me of my position, and place a certain Hyuuga Fujima in charge of the clan. I don't doubt he's grown up since childhood, but I still don't feel confident about a man that spent most of his early years in 'head-butting contests'. Hence why I'd like you to 'neglect' informing them of our conversation." 

Giggling like a teenager with a nice bit of gossip, the Hokage felt herself agreeing with him. "I must say, I've underestimated your diplomatic capabilities. I can't even 'remember' a time before when a 'Head' of the Hyuuga clan was much more than a powerless symbol." 

Chuckling a little, Hiashi nodded. "Even if I'm somewhat of a figurehead, I can still use loopholes and backdoor deals to gain authority. The 'one-eye' arguement should help remove Neji's seal. Please concider what I've suggested in the mean time. We might not be able to stop the next intrusion from taking Hinata." 

Just as the Hyuuga leader was about to leave the room, Tsunade voiced the question that plagued her mind since she'd first heard it. "Why would they go after Hinata, anyway? I could understand Naruto, but...she doesn't have anything sealed in her." 

Pausing, hand barely on the doorknob, the raven haired veteran sighed. "I'm not entirely sure. They seem to 'think' she holds something, but I cannot understand this idea. Surrounded by Hyuuga her entire life, we would have noticed if there was something abnormal inside of her. Maybe they were mislead by someone who wants to damage Konoha? Perhaps Orochimaru?" 

Now it was the Hokage's turn to shake her head. "They aren't friendly with 'that' snake. We'll probably never know what they think or why unless they reveal it themselves."

* * *

There were few things in the world that could make Hyuuga Hanabi blush. For the most part, she felt embarassment at anything was beneath her. 

"Hanabi-chan!" 

That, of course, did 'not' apply when Hinata flung her door near off its hinges, uncharacteristically vocal, lifting her up, then almost crushing her younger sibling in a surprisingly strong hug. The young girl wasn't sure what it was 'exactly' that was making her blush. Was it seeing a different side to the usually timid Hinata? The nagging thoughts that didn't make any sense, the warm feelings that this seemed to be provocing? Or the mear fact that she had just taken off her sullied pants? Maybe a combination of them all? Trying to be 'dignified' near her elder sister when being hugged, and the only clothes on her body were her brownish panties with human waste possibly hanging out? Yeah, that might be it. 

When Hanabi finally managed to speak, her words surprised herself. She wanted to ask calmly yet forcefully 'can you put me down'. Instead, she whispered with a hint of betrayal in her voice. "Where 'were' you?" 

The older girl cringed. "I'm sorry, ni-chan. I...ran off during the chaos to hide. The letter was to get the rogues off my trail." 

Hanabi glared instantly at the fib. Barely aware of her own actions, she snarled harshly, "You're lying. I read your note before they came in, and you doubted others would 'read' it at all! Try again, nee-sama. The next time you try altering the truth, I'll 'show' you what it means to test my 'patience'." 

Recoiling at the tone of her sister's voice, Hinata put her sister down to her feet, mumbling softly, yet for some reason not returning to her usual stutter. "I'm sorry, ni-chan. Maybe we can call things even when 'you' appologise, and then I tell the truth?" 

Huh, that seemed like a strange thing to say. Hanabi not only was curious, but she also felt it was necisary to fire a verbal barb in response. "Why would we be 'even'? I don't recall saying anything to you particularly inflaming today. You, on the other hand, just lied to my face, something that I 'rarely' tolerate. If you weren't my sister, I wouldn't have hesitated shoving my hands into your mouth and scratching your dishonest tongue until it bled. Since you 'are', however, I'll just concider the ill conceived vapor you called an explanation another of your many inferiorities." 

Staring down at the younger girl, a strange glint in her eyes, Hinata's voice held the same calm, cold and commanding tone their father usually had. "Please don't act like you're completely innocent, Hanabi. For you to have read that letter means you entered my room. Entering my room, a 'personal' area of mine, without my permission is not something 'I' take kindly to. The last time someone did something like that was eight years ago, and I activated his seal for taking me from my privacy. Seeing as how you didn't know that entering my room is a 'bad' idea, I'll give you a fair option. Choice number one: you appologise, than I tell you the truth immedietly. I dearly hope you don't choose the other option." 

Feeling herself smile, Hanabi asked, "What is choice number two? If I don't appologise, what are you going to do? Kill me? Doubtful, you don't have--" 

Hinata's reply made her jump from its sheer strength. Glaring with more fierceness than Neji 'ever' could muster, the older girl nearly roared, "If you don't apologise, I'll 'beat' one out of you!" 

The silence became deafening, neither girl moving. Hanabi felt conflicted, internally weighing her options. On the one hand, she had actually found something that cracked the otherwise impossible-to-infuriate Hinata. This might just be the chance she was hoping for to see if she truely 'was' superior to her sister. On the other hand, she 'despritely' wanted to know where her older sister had been when the attack came. 

Cautiously, the younger girl broke the silence. "If I, say, chose option two, could you possibly tell me the truth after the fight?" 

Face turning into a foxish grin, one that seemed oddly familiar yet...misplaced, the older sister said, "Either way I'll tell you. You just have the choice between a peaceful exchange right here, or a bruising fight before the explanation in half an hour." 

Now 'that' part was strangest of all. "'Half an hour'?" 

Nodding, Hinata's grin almost intensified. "Yes, to take place in the Head House's private sparring room. Even if you 'want' a few good hits, you had a scary experience. I'll be curtious enough to let you change clothes, eat, and otherwise prepare yourself." 

Feeling a matching grin form across her mouth, Hanabi flicked some stray bits of hair from her eyes before saying with confidence, "I accept your challenge, nee-sama. For once I'll be able to see if I truely 'am' better than you when you face me in 'earnest'. As an added stipulation, the loser must do the other's laundry for a 'week'!" 

Hinata shot that idea down in a flash. "Neither of us do our laundry ourselves. If you're going to put up an added incentive for someone to get a definitive win, try to make it something that we'd both fight for. Otherwise, don't bother." 

Thinking a little more deeply, something flashed through the younger sister's mind. Something that would 'really' motivate the older girl. "How about...the loser has to kiss people in the village, wearing only panties until she's kissed everyone on a list written by the winner?" 

That took Hinata off guard, her grin faltering. Blushing, she stuttered, "Wha...what did ya...you say?!" 

The younger girl almost laughed at the expression on the older girl's face. Almost. "It makes sense, really. Think about it, this way we'll have a 'definitive' end. You're so shy it would probably be utter torture just 'kissing' someone, much less doing that with just panties on. As for myself, it would be a blow to my pride just 'losing'. The kisses with so little clothes on would make me think 'twice' before crossing you again. So, we'd both have reason to not 'lose'." 

It took a full minute for Hinata stop alternating from glaring in indignation, and twidling her thumbs with a blush at the idea of kissing 'anyone' with so little cloths on. Finally, she managed to ask, "How many people?" 

Yes, she was accepting the stipulation! Unable to hold back her excitement, Hanabi said, "Four!" 

Hinata looked nervous for a moment, shut her eyes, and breathed deeply. Opening her eyes, she turned around to leave the room, her words ending the conversation. "Then it'll be a promise that I won't go easy on you in the fight. See you in half-an-hour, Hanabi. I'll try to make some of my balm before then, it wouldn't do for the people 'you' kiss to be destracted by your bruises." 

Already thinking of the people Hinata should kiss, Hanabi replied impishly, "Oh, don't worry. I'll make sure when 'I' beat you that your lips aren't fattened. Then again, whoever you're kissing might not notice fat lips and just look at your fat 'chest'!" 

The instant Hinata slammed the door behind her, she called through it, "Bring it on! I'll make you acknowlege that I'm not that easy to walk on!" 

Excitement building in her chest, Hanabi listened as her sister stormed to her room. Oh yeah! Just the bantering had gotten her pumped up to fight, this was just 'too' good! 

Quickly changing into fresh clothes, she grabbed a peice of paper and began writing names of people Hinata would kiss when this was done. 'Temari-no-Sakabatu, Inuzuka Kiba, Uzumaki Naruto, Yamaka Ino'. Yeah, that seemed good. Most of them seemed like the type to be rather vocal about a sudden kiss, most likely negitive. The paper slipped from her hands, landing on its back to the ground. Huh, the sunlight through the window made the paper look kind of like sand... 

Something happened that she didn't expect. It was as if the thought of sand triggered some kind of hallucination. What else could explain why she seemed to be in a desert surrounded by corpses. Corpses of 'herself', all bleeding from the throat. Her body turned around slowly, her blood running cold. 

Now do you see why you should have stayed in your room, child? 

Her blood seemed to become even colder with fear, the voice all too familiar: Itachi. Staring at his shadow across the desert with wide eyes, she whispered, "Doesn't he ever tire of this?!" 

The words didn't make sense. 'Tire of this'? Why did she say that? It was like the thought of 'taking' something from the Uchiha earlier. It didn't make sense! Her surroundings returned to her room again, her head aching, and she slammed gracelessly onto her bedroom floor. Dazed, words from herself and Itachi seemed to come unbidden through her mind, the sensation of something cold going through her neck multiple times made her stop breathing from shock, ripping at her sanity. 

Does it hurt, child? 

'Shu...shut up!' 

Now, now, don't worry. The Tsukuyomi lasts for only seventy-two hours. Another seventy-one hours and fourty-seven minutes and it will all end. 

Just as she was ready to break down completely, Itachi's voice said something she recalled he said earlier. 

I look forward to when she 'does' recall what happened in the Tsukuyomi, the child has some potential. 

These were...memories? Or just the surface of memories? What did Itachi do to her? Getting up to her knees, wiping cold sweat from her brow, she stared at the paper, wondering if 'all' the memories would come this suddenly and violently. Seventy-two hours...so the 'Moon Phase' made her go through three days of torture. 

A knock on her door made Hanabi get up in a flash, hiding the paper in her pants. Staring at the door in annyoance, she muttered to herself, "I'm starting to get tired of all this confusion. If this isn't something I can understand in a flash, someone's going to die."

* * *

Hinata waited in the Head House's training room, a slip of paper her right hand, her left in a pants pocket. She hadn't picked a total of four people for Hanabi to kiss if she won. Hell, she'd picked only three. Still, they 'would' teach her sister a lesson. A lesson of humility, that is. 

Konohamaru was a given. After all, calling a boy a 'brainless brat' meant there'd be some swallowed pride in that kiss. Besides, the seven year old seemed similar to Naruto, so maybe he deserved a mostly naked girl locking her lips to his. Just imagining his reaction turned Hinata's face pinkish. 

The next was aimed at the younger girl's dislike of all animals. After all, how could any sane girl 'not' think Akimaru was cute? A quick peck on the snout, and the little guy would lick Hanabi with appreciation and make her turn greenish from disgust. Maybe a little sadistic, but Hinata couldn't help smiling at the image. 

As for the last one, it would be by far the most disgusting kiss for Hanabi, yet she kind of deserved it. The time three years ago when the younger girl said the Second Hokage's invention of the seal used on Branch House members was the greatest idea ever conceived in front of Neji deserved retrebution at last. Besides, it couldn't be 'too' hard to find Nadame's grave, dig the corpse up, and kiss it. Maybe she could convince Shino to make it a maggot infested corpse? Nah, it can't get much more disturbing or humbling than kissing a still rotting skeleton. 

Shaking her head, giggling to herself, she whispered, "Oh, I might be going to far. There's still a minute or two left, maybe I should cross off the last one? Nah, knowing Hanabi she'd probably make me kiss Kuronari-sensei or Neji-kun if I lost. Maybe both. What would be more disturbing, anyway? Kissing a cousin half-naked while he's in the hospital? Or kissing my sensei, a thirty year old woman who seems more like a mother to me?" 

Shuddering, her humor left in an instant as she hugged herself tightly. "Get those sorts of thoughts out of your head, girl. Don't wonder what'll happen if you lose. It just might be too mortifying to take." 

Taking one more look at herself, Hinata prepared herself as best she could. She wasn't wearing her usual sweater, feeling that its familiarity might either cause Hanabi to not take her seriously, or make Hinata herself have second thoughts. After all, fighting her sister was 'not' going to be easy. Even when they were both extreamly young, and father set them up in sparring matches, she never put up much offense. If she wanted an 'honest' appology, and teach her younger sister she wasn't just going to back off from her anymore, she needed to be aggressive. Besides, her choice of clothes would undoubtedly blow the younger girl's mind. 

Hearing the door open, then latch shut, Hinata smiled at her sister's surprised expression. Huh, probably wasn't expecting different clothes than usual. A red, sleeveless shirt with the words, 'What looks like dust can still birth a glorious Pheonix', probably attracted the most attention. The purple shorts and the fingerless orange gloves probably hard to ignore as well. 

Hanabi was seriously shocked, her jaw completely slack. Taking the time to look at her, the older sister raised an eyebrow at the younger's choice in clothing. Black jeans, a black bra, and an unzippered blue vest. Huh, wasn't Hanabi a little young to wear a bra? Ten years old was a little soon to be budding, wasn't it? Than again, she'd seen some weirder things in her life. 

Seeing Hanabi shake her head, she broke the silence. "So, should I explain before or after we fight?" 

The younger girl said all too quickly, "Before." 

Huh, did this mean that she was going to back down from the fight? Either way, Hinata smiled a little. "Okay, ni-chan. I guess now's as good a time as any. Maybe we should sit down, it's sort of a long story." 

Where Hanabi sat formally, as if in front of their father or at the dinner table, Hinata sat cross-legged like she did with her team. "You already know why Hyuuga enter the Shinobi Academy." 

As if reciting from a textbook, Hanabi replied, "To prove our superiority at a young age, despite the fact that such simple environments are an insult to Hyuuga abilities." 

Trying not to let the almost pompus way that was said make her shake her head, Hinata disagreed. "Wrong, ni-chan. That might be the clan's 'official' reason, but it isn't the real one. Even the official reasons for others to send their children to the Academy are less than honest." 

Seeing the confused expression, she continued. "Think about it: Hyuuga from both Branch House and Head House are sent to a public building with only chuunin level teachers as protection and guidance. That same guidance is at times 'conveniently' distracted by something else. Either a more disruptive student that needs to be attended to by a higher authority, or an anouncement for that sensei to report to the main office. During those times when the teacher is gone, 'anything' could happen between the students. Friendships might form, all out brawls could start, and no supervisor comes to intervene unless someone is close to being perminantly crippled, or killed." 

Hanabi blinked in surprise, "Ba...but that's insane!" 

So it is. "It's a method to 'toughen-up' potential shinobi, and make them think for themselves. After all, it wouldn't make much sense if the Academy was 'too' much of a controled environment. As for the idea of having some 'gender-based' classes, it isn't so much to prevent distractions, but to increase tensions. Think about it: girls aren't usually that openly aggressive with boys around, trying to act like they're too 'feminine' for what's seen as a boy's thing. Without boys around, though, it's different. Girls that might have acted like helpless self-fashioned princesses will become more inclined to act like utter wildcats. Of all the kinds of fights I've seen, two furious girls going at it without any males nearby to watch are the most brutal and grueling. Neither is that concerned with much else than beating the other until she's almost unrecognizable and breaks out into defeated tears." 

Blinking the many images out of her head, Hanabi slowly asked, "Why do Hyuuga kids usually go into the Academy later than others if that's how its run? Wouldn't it make more sense to bring them in at the same time?" 

Now 'this' was the difficult part. "Because we're raised to think we're so much 'better' than others, when we finally go into the Academy we're almost 'garanteed' to be targeted. This is why the Hyuuga are seen as the strongest clan, not because of our blood-line limit as we're told. It also means in the rare case we 'do' gain a friend in the Academy, we're most likely going to stick by them for years to come, hence our renouned loyalty. For example, look at Neji and Tenten. They became so close not because they were put on the same team, but because when Neji was being ganged up on by four kids, she came to his rescue. Even if Neji has surpassed her, he still holds her in the highest regard. Since the graduation age from the Academy is around thirteen...I think within the next year or two, you'll be thrown into the proverbial paranha waters. After an abnormally long time inside the protection of the mansion, you'll be far too appetizing for the more 'wild' students to leave alone. That is your 'reward' from the Elders for showing potential: an extra few years away from the Academy. Too bad they don't yet realize that's more of a curse than a gift." 

Clearly a little unnerved, Hanabi shook her head. "The...that's very interesting, nee-sama. Still, you haven't told me where you were." 

Hinata chuckled humorlessly. "You know, I'll just put the next part bluntly. I put on some contact lenses, dressed up in these very clothes, and picked a fight with a group of drop-outs!"

* * *

For half a second, Hanabi just stared at her sister with wide eyes. Slowly starting to blink again, the younger girl muttered, "Now that just 'needs' some explaining." 

Hinata sighed, voice devoid of any humor. "I promised myself after the Chuunin assault that I'll work to never be a liability again. That I'll become stronger for those I care about. With my team-mate, Kiba, getting wounded trying to regain Sasuke in that botched mission, my resolve just got stronger." 

Trying not to scoff too loudly at the idea, Hanabi shook her head. "Minor detail you should remember: it doesn't matter much how you disguise yourself. The moment you activate the Bakyugan and use the clan's taijutsu style, you'll be recognized immediately." 

Putting on that strange fox-like smirk again, Hinata put an index finger on her forehead. "This head doesn't hold a load of fertilizer, I know some things you don't. Just my hair color and style is enough to give me away to anyone observant enough. As Hyuuga Hinata, I still can't control my shy nature. Anyone recognizing me would mean word could get back to father and the elders about some of my 'training exercises'. Yet as Uzumaki Hinoko..." 

Now it was begining to make sense. "Ah, so you created a seperate identity for these 'training' sessions. Using the family name of an orphan shinobi, you probably try making your own taijutsu in the resulting brawls." 

Nodding, Hinata's smirk started to lose its fire. "Yeah, it's fine for what I'm doing. Sometimes I wonder if there really 'is' a person called Uzumaki Hinoko that I'm causing trouble for. Other times I enjoy the total 'freedom' being someone else gives me. Some days it's dard to know if 'Hinata' is the real me, or if 'Hinoko' is what I'm supposed to be. The first: I've been raised as for fourteen years, and constantly called the 'failure' of the Hyuuga clan. The other has been called a 'rising star' of a new clan. Hell, last night...when I fought five people who didn't pass the initial genin team test at once, I had dozens of eyes staring at me. Some glared at me for reasons I think are connected to Naruto-kun, others 'congradulated' me for putting a group of jerks in their place. I...could get used to that sort of thing." 

Unthinkingly, Hanabi blurted out, "I think they're 'both' the real you." 

Seeing her older sister's questioning glance, she continued. "As a Hyuuga heiress, your every move is well known and gains attention. The high expectations people have of the clan might have helped create the timid side of yourself. As for the other one, there you're seen for your own accomplishments and nothing else. A clean slate, so to speak. I would say that you'll be truly 'yourself' when you gain enough confidence in yourself to show parts of 'Hinoko' when you're 'Hinata'." 

For what felt like an eternity, neither spoke. Both girls let the words soak into their heads, each clearly surprised that Hanabi said something so...un-Hyuuga. Hinata finally tried to change the subject. "Well, I've explained where I was earlier. So, what rules should this fight have?" 

Hanabi smirked lightly, looking at the door out of the room. "We couldn't do it even if I wanted to anymore. Father said we had to start packing in order to reach a more 'secure' location in three days." 

For the first time she could remember, she saw Hinata glare firmly at her, eye contact included. "Hanabi-chan, how long did you know about this?" 

Holding in laughter, the younger girl said, "Oh, around twenty minutes ago. We're supposed to leave in another...hour or so." 

Exploding, the older girl 'screamed' in disbeleif, "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THIS THE MOMENT YOU GOT IN THE ROOM?!" 

Unable to hold it back any longer, Hanabi outright laughed. Hearing something along the lines of 'what's so funny', she wheezed out, "Hin...Hinata-chan, you look so 'rediculous' when you lose your temper!" 

She might have fallen over in her humor, but a hand grabbed her hair, halting her mid-laugh. Hinata smiled darkly, voice sounding strangely scary. "Maybe I can cure you of that stupidity, nee-chan. There's something I know about you that you don't..." 

Not answering, the younger girl gulped as her sister continued. "I'd say you've just earned the tickle-torture." 

'Torture'?

* * *

Jiriaya noted a messenger bird coming towards the camp he decided on less than a day ago with the corner of his eye, and he almost felt like chuckling. Those birds could always find the person a letter was for, even if the target was mobile. If it wasn't for the fact that nobody can possibly know who the message is for while it's in the air, that would be extreamly unnerving. 

As the bird came closer, he became worried. Bird-of-prey, meaning either a falcon or an eagle. Falcons delivering messages usually meant 'get your ass back to Konoha, there's an emergency', while eagles tended to carry 'abort mission, enemy coming to your position'. Since it wasn't a pigeon, there was no chance the letter was just asking for a progress report or a simple correspondance. 

Absently throwing a kunai from his belt, hearing the sick thud, he walked to the messenger's reward for coming so far. When he thought about it, maybe he was just overreading things. After all, he'd run out of bird-seed a week ago, and couldn't possibly replenish his supply. After all, an unfed mail pigeon might refuse to deliver a message to someone again, causing undue hassle. 

Pulling his kunai out of the still twitching rabbit, Jiraiya felt talons tugging at his shoulder. Turning, he gulped at the sight of a jet-black falcon. Giving the bird its meal, taking the letter off its leg, he read the message with apprehension. 

[To: Senin-Ni   
Authorization: Bi-mori-kage-go-soku.   
Nine attacked village. Retreive valuables in location san-go-itch.   
Date of meeting: moonrise. 

If he remembered right, location three-five-one was in the center of a large town in the border between Fire and Water nations. The town Mariko, a place where a mysterious woman known only by the town's name defeated the famous Tenshin Inuzuka and spared his life around two-hundred years ago. Now, the city was an important trading post and had been becoming more independant by the day. For Tsunade to tell him to 'retreive' something there made the old veteran gulp. Not the best place to keep a low profile, which meant this was a serious situation. 

Sighing, he walked to where Naruto was pitching the first tent and yelled, "No need to get comfortable, we gotta hassle!" 

Clearly annoyed, the young blond spat out, "If we need to 'hassle', why'd you tell me to get the tents up?!" 

"No time to argue, brat! We have to make a three day journey in less than thirty-six hours. There's someone who owes me twenty bucks down there, and he isn't going to stay for long." Just because it was a serious situation didn't mean that Naruto had to know...at least not yet. 


	3. Uzumaki Meets Hyuuga

Authors Note: I'm one who takes criticism seriously, and I try as I might, I couldn't do a decent chapter four with an unedited mess up here. Ah well, guess I'll take it as a learning experience: rushing makes you take longer in the long run, taking your time makes it time well spent. Let's see if I get it right this time.   
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Hanabi looked around, trying to hide her amazement with a sneer. So, this was Midori village. It looked at least 'twice' the size of Konoha, and certainly bustled with activity. Crowded streets and four-story buildings as far as her eyes could see, the only thing keeping her from getting lost was being near Hinata. Part of the young girl considered grabbing a hold of her hand, but even 'that' seemed a little difficult among the swarming mob.

A fat looking mass knocked against her shoulder, making Hanabi growl to herself, "This wouldn't be so difficult if our escorts hadn't left. But no, they had to give Hinata a scrap of paper and go off on a 'real' mission. I can't even get out of this stupid get-up, either!"

Pulling at the red T-shirt, she had to wonder what this stuff was made of. Whatever it was, it itched enough to almost bring tears to her eyes. Or was the moist feeling gathering on her eye-lashes irritation from the blue contacts? As for the black jeans, they did nothing to protect her from the civilian's flying sweat that landed on her legs. Why they needed to have pants so worn out in the disguise was beyond the young girl's imagination. Ah well, at least the sack on her back held some scrolls with her things.

Seeing Hinata enter a small building, she quickly followed with a raised eyebrow. 'Styx, Taiyoukai Onsen' was far from her idea of a meeting place. What kind of idiot names something after the legendary river of the dead, and call it a demon lord's hot spring?

What she saw inside the building nearly caused her to faint on the spot. Surrounded by dozens of screaming people betting, three interconnected cages filled with berserk raccoons killing one another, and a shattered bar supported the village's love of carnage.

Hinata shook her head in open disgust, grabbing and pulling her sister a little forcefully. "Come on Anari-tan, we're supposed to meet my uncle Feran at the bar."

It took Hanabi half a second to remember what that meant. Oh yeah, the looks weren't the only part of the disguise. Name and personality traits were also given. Though it was disconcerting to see how 'good' Hinata was at altering her identity, the young Hyuuga shook it off, trying to do her part of the act. "Why here though, Hin...Konoko-sama?"

Cringing at her slip-of-the-tongue, she almost didn't catch the reply. "It was either this or a brothel. At least here, he'll only be dazed from gambling and some alcohol, not from intercourse and his other kinks."

Letting herself get pulled onto a bar-stool, Hanabi looked for the designated 'uncle Feran' among the few people actually drinking in the pub. Three people, all reasonable to assume were shinobi.

The more obvious one was, of course, the blond she remembered as Uzumaki Naruto. Taking almost bored sips from an orange drink, his headband was nowhere to be seen. Only one thing made her a little surprised about his appearance. In the place of his orange jacket, he wore a baggy black T-shirt with Konoha's insignia, yet still had the same pants she remembered. Huh, he 'could' pass as a tourist to those who didn't know him. Unfortunately, the boy left lasting impressions on every person in the Chuunin exam audience, much less the other places he'd been. She'd even heard of a 'bridge' named after the orphan. How could a fourteen-year-old genin, only a shinobi for maybe five months, with no clan or bloodline, be able to 'resonate' in people's minds?

Moving on to the next figure, he was a heavily scarred man with greenish hair. Sticking out of his pocket seemed to be over ten different headbands hanging from his pockets. Huh, maybe his disguise was a bounty hunter? Drinking a brownish, nearly solid mass, the man kept not-so-subtly glancing at Hinata. Either he was the guard they would have, or the man just was asking himself if he could date the early budding teenager. It took half a second for Hanabi to notice how much she 'disliked' that idea. Was it because the man looked a good ten to twenty years older, or a growing attachment to her sister? Maybe a combination?

The final person looked, surprisingly, more gaudy than Naruto did in his usual outfit. Silver hair going wildly in all directions, a half purple and half yellow plaid robe, painful to look at. How could 'anyone' wear a plaid outfit? She might not have been able to see the man's face, but she could almost 'imagine' some ridiculous face-paint in some overdone color like red or black. Whoever this guy was, he certainly didn't seem to mind attracting attention. Either he was a very confident shinobi, or a very stupid man going through a mid-life-crisis.

As if to spite Hanabi, the silver haired man turned around, revealing his red face-paint and asked in some weird drawl, "Ya gals lookin' fer Feran?"

As if replying to a signal, which she probably was, Hinata replied, "Yes. Is the senile fool still of this world?"

Shaking his head, the old weirdo had the 'fakest' forlorn look in his eyes. "Ee' pass 'way less than a week 'go. 'Cardiac infarction' them doctors say. May the ol' coot spen' the res' o' i'finity in the great brothel on high."

As soon as the man finished, Hinata's facade disappeared. It was unnerving how quickly the girl could change from a confident young woman to a timid child. "I ha...hope this wasn't too much trouble. Gomen-nessai."

The man waved the apology off, strange accent gone. "Oh please, no trouble at all. If anything, it helped the brat with his endurance training. So, you ladies allowed to give your real names, or do I have to ask Tsunade? After all, it isn't every day I see Hyuuga children in such elaborate disguises."

Gulping, Hanabi tried not to let her unease show too much. "How did you...'know' we're Hyuuga? I was told that even our guards weren't given our real identity!"

Shrugging, the man muttered, "I've been around for a long time, and you aren't a shinobi. You didn't think to hide your eye irritation. It's common sense to think that someone wearing contact lenses and clearly wanting to take them off yet not is hiding something. Logically, it would make sense for a Hyuuga in hiding to disguise their eyes."

Giggling in a way that annoyed her younger sister, Hinata whispered, "I'm Hinata, and she's Hanabi: my little sister. So where do we move to now, Jiraiya-sama?"

'Jiraiya'? As in the Toad Senin, and teacher of the Yandame?! Sure, he wasn't wearing his usual robes and spoke differently less than a minute ago, but how could she 'not' recognize him sooner just from the silver hair?! Wasn't Uzumaki on a training mission with this man as a supervisor? It should have been 'obvious', but the young girl hadn't put the dots together in time.

Shrugging, the veteran muttered, "Not sure yet. It's easy to get into this town quietly, but getting out is another issue. Since we don't want any rumors spreading about our general where-abouts, the road back into Fire country is out of the question. After all, it'd seem suspicious if two groups entered from that direction, then left in that same direction as a single group. We'd end up with some local militia checking if we're hostile, and then everyone inside the village would know who and where we are. Going into Water country is less likely to have your cover blown, but it's more prone to civil war and bandits. There's no hurry for me to decide, so we'll probably stay in town for a day or two."

Hearing some poor animal's death cries, combined with the cheering crowd, made Hanabi fervently hope that the Toad Senin would decide quickly which was the lesser evil. Too long in this place could make her crack. Turning around, looking for a bathroom where she could puke, she was a little surprised to find Naruto holding his hands over his ears. Huh, was he just as disturbed as she was?

Sighing to herself, Hanabi mumbled, "Well, at least I'm not the only one out of their element."   
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Cringing at the fresh cheers and dying whines, Naruto mumbled to himself, "How the hell can these bastards 'enjoy' this? It's like a glorified execution with no reason!"

Standing quickly, walking up to the old Senin with a grimace, the blond snarled, "I think I'll go off somewhere a bit more peaceful, like a riot."

Jiraiya didn't even flinch, saying casually, "Can you take the younger girl with you, brat? I'd rather not be forced to pay extra for her lost lunch."

Turning a bit to the side, seeing a dark haired, blue eyed little kid holding her throat. Her face looked a little reddish, like she was almost cutting her own air supply in her disgust. Huh, she kind of looked familiar...but he couldn't quite place her.

Tapping the little girl's shoulder, he was a little surprised at how quickly she spun around on her seat in a fighting stance. An idea went through his head...an idea that might help him pass the time. "Hey, why don't we go off to the inn ero-senin rented out, kid? At least there, we won't have to deal with the blood crazed bastards in this town!"

Relaxing somewhat, obviously relieved at the offer, she replied curtly, "That would be preferable, Uzumaki-senpai. Lead the way."

Walking out the door, kid close behind him, something clicked in his head. "Wait, how'd you know my name? I don't think I've met you, have I?"

Chuckling, staying surprisingly close to him despite, or maybe because of, the crowded streets, she retorted, "You aren't exactly someone who easily blends into the crowd, and for a genin you've gained quite the reputation. Part of it admirable, the rest crude. Tell me, why did you defile the Hokage monument as you did?"

Putting on one of his trademark grins, Naruto said, "Could you think of a more direct way to send a message like 'I will reach the top, and take you geezers off your pedestal'?"

Face contemplative for a moment, she commented, "It might have been better to just have one large 'ex' next to the fourth, and then write 'Uzumaki Naruto, Legend in the Making'. That way, the spirits of the past Hokage wouldn't get as angry. Wouldn't you agree that your shinobi career has had some...rough points that could be associated with poor karma?"

He almost stumbled at that. She took his question seriously?! Bursting out in laughter, he clapped a hand over the girl's shoulder, eliciting a surprised yelp, and nearly yelled to her, "Ha, actually not a bad idea, kid! What's your name?!"

Voice a little shaken, she stumbled, "Hyange, no wait, Hino, no...Hyuuga Hanabi."

Smirking a bit at her, idea forming in his head, the blond commented, "Hyuuga, eh? Well then, you mind having a spar? I haven't had as much taijutsu matches as I'd like in this little training trip, and facing someone similar to Neji would certainly be fun."

Blushing a little, she said in a weak voice, "Can I at least...wear something more comfortable for that? I sealed all my clothes into scrolls, so it shouldn't take too long."   
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As Naruto left her in a room to change, Hanabi slammed her head into a wall, growling at herself. "I 'blushed'?! Blood rushing to the cheeks, oh-look-at-the-timid-girl blushed?! You've got to be kidding me! That's Hinata's thing! Let's see, how low have I fallen? Stuttering, crapping myself, and now 'blushing'! What's next, putting on a sweater about two sizes too large and hoping nobody notices me?!"

Taking a moment to catch her breath, pulling a scroll from her tan sack, she spat on it and made the boar seal. Watching as black shorts, purple bra, fishnet shirt, and sandals that would actually 'fit' her came out of thick smoke, she mumbled to herself, "Good thing I used one of oji-sama's seals, I really don't like the idea of cutting myself just to get clothes."

Just as she was about to take the contact lenses off, a familiar voice cut through the air. Itachi's voice. "I would have thought a Hyuuga heiress would be more accustomed to blood."

Surroundings dissolving, her world became total crimson. Her lungs were burning, as if she'd drowned for hours, and Itachi said almost amused, "Perhaps it's less that you're unused to blood...and more unused to swimming. They say blood is thicker than water...does that mean it'll feel more painful as you drown?"

Just as suddenly, she returned to the dull inn, breathing hard and sweating cold. "When will...these visions of Itachi's jutsu end?"

Almost belatedly, she noted that the contact lenses had fallen out at some point in her little 'vision'...well, that saved her some time at least.

Putting on the clothes, she internally reviewed the fight between Naruto and Neji, trying to visualize how the spar might develop, and every way she looked at it was interesting.

His style was less refined than she was used to, more force than finesse. Not to mention the fact that he seemed to have stamina that bordered on inhuman, and an endurance to pain she couldn't measure. Maybe the reason why Neji lost was because he underestimated the blond...than again, that was a little too easy for anyone to do for her liking. Maybe when he wore that orange jumpsuit, there was some sort of armor underneath? No, that didn't make sense. It couldn't be a clever trick to make people bring their guard down, he didn't seem that subtle.

As an after-thought, she spat on another scroll, and began putting on fingerless gloves the moment the smoke cleared. Grinning at herself in the mirror, she giggled like the little girl she was. "How embarrassing would it be to lose to a girl about three years his junior? If he's still conscious when we're done, maybe I'll ask."   
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Contrary to popular belief, Naruto wasn't a 'complete' moron. The fact that he was going to spar a Hyuuga wasn't going to be easy by any means. Sure, the girl probably didn't know as much as Neji, but a slap from her might hurt like hell. Hanabi might even pull a few tricks he wouldn't expect, she was supposedly better than Hinata, and Hinata had held her own against Neji.

Hearing the sound of a door opening, he looked at the inn's entrance and almost dropped to the floor in shock. Dear god, she looked like a mini-dominitrix! He didn't know if he should feel anticipation for when she grew up...or disturbed by the way his mind was looking at her.

Covering her starting-to-bud breasts with a small purple bra, rest of the torso under a fishnet shirt, she was probably a B-cup already. Considering how young she was, those little mounds would probably be a 'lot' larger by the time she reached thirteen. The fingerless gloves looked 'mildly' tactical...if didn't notice the fact that they were at least two sizes too large. Adding the black shorts that looked like they might fall off her waist at any time, yet digging up her ass crack, she 'certainly' took the idea of konoichi using their sex as a weapon to heart...it was just too bad she wasn't old enough to actually look like a bombshell.

Chuckling a little, he joked to her, "Hey, this is a spar we're going through, not a porn movie! Something tells me if Hinata ever wore something like that in the Academy, she'd have put on steel panties with a combination lock!"

Hanabi's eye twitched at that, her voice threatening in tone. "Why in the world would you bring my sister up when talking about my clothes?"

Shrugging, he returned, "I didn't even know you were her sister! It's just that Hinata's the only Hyuuga girl I know and it's surprising that where she tries to hide her 'abundant' assets...you try showing off almost nonexistent curves!"

She moved quickly, his hand barely able to deflect the hand about to slap his gut. If it wasn't for the fact that he 'knew' the Hyuuga style would turn his organs to powder, he might have thought it was cute. At least she didn't put any chakra behind that one.

Cracking his knuckles, ready to get serious, he almost didn't catch her snarl, "Give me one good reason not to take you apart for that comment."

Caught off guard by the sheer 'vehemence' in her voice, he asked slowly, "Which part? You having no curves to speak of yet, or Hinata hiding a potentially sexy body under a sweater and baggy pants?"

For a moment, the girl seemed conflicted on what to say in response, as if she didn't know the answer herself. Hanabi shook her head violently, long hair swinging all over the place as she sputtered, "Nee-sama's lack, wait I mean my large, oh throw it to the toilet! I disliked the entire sentence!"

It was kind of funny watching the girl squirm, so Naruto said cheekily, "Okay, so you didn't like that I made the sentence so clean. How about this? You're as flat as sandpaper, your sister's stacked ten ways over, and if she wasn't so shy than she'd have people getting in line just to fuck her!"

Screeching in furry, the girl leaped onto him, taking them both to the ground as Naruto lost his balance. Palms crashing into his face from both sides, nails raking disturbingly close to his eyes, the blond rolled on top and grabbed her wrists.

Smiling at the way her face crunched up at him, he said with a straight face, "Aren't the 'great' Hyuuga supposed to be 'composed' at all times?"

Hanabi was practically frothing at the mouth at that point, spitting up to the genin's face, "I'll be 'composed' after I appropriately 'punish' your..your..'disrespect'!"

Smiling a little at the way she tried to head butt him, coming up short by at least two inches, he said, "If it's respect for the Hyuuga as a whole your looking for, than you're wasting your time. Hell, I don't respect 'any' groups. As for 'people', they earn respect from me, just like I earn respect from them."

Growling like an animal, glaring venomously, she whispered, "If I have to beat you in your element to receive the respect I 'deserve', than let me go. Neither of us using chakra of any sort. An even match, all things considered. You won't be allowed to do any jutsu, and I won't be allowed to use either the Bakuyugan, or turn your organs to 'liquid' like 'you' deserve!"

Blinking, Naruto couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Was she serious? A thirteen year old genin boy against an eleven year old non-ninja girl, and she honestly thought it was a 'fair' fight?!   
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Hanabi may have 'hoped' the blond would accept her challenge, but she didn't think he'd actually 'do' so! Letting go of her wrists, standing up with a fox like smirk, he gestured for her to start things off.

Springing up to her feet, she clenched her hands experimentally. So, this was how non-Hyuuga's fought...how 'normal' people fought. Just in making a fist, she felt adrenaline spike through her veins. Thumb pushing her index and middle fingers further into her palm, nails digging into her own flesh, she felt herself smirk wolfishly. Had the blond goaded her with this in mind, or was this just as unexpected to him?

Either way, she moved quickly, taking a wide swing at his solar plexus and easily being blocked. Her other hand jabbed the same target, catching him dead on. Naruto drew back a centimeter or two reflexively, clearly surprised how much breath was knocked from him with such a weak hit. Using the moment as an opening, she kicked the back of his left knee, watching him nearly fall to his face, and retreated a bit, grinning like a predator.

Unable to resist, she began to verbally attack him, "Is that all you have, Uzumaki-'sempai'? Are you totally helpless without the use of your vast chakra reserves? Losing to someone two years your junior...maybe Neji-kun wasn't as impressive as I believed if you're so 'weak'."

Getting up to his feet, Hanabi was surprised at the look on his face. It wasn't angry or frustrated, but...smiling? His voice's tone was equally unexpected, as if he 'enjoyed' being insulted like that. "Well, I was worried this might be a forgone conclusion. Guess I shouldn't have expected you'd fight kind of like Konohamaru...or how I thought Neji would fight without chakra. Oh yeah, I'd better take you a bit more seriously than I thought!"

This time, he charged at her, and Naruto's punches were both predictable yet shocking. She could block his hits, see them coming and easily predict how he'd move next...yet she couldn't move fast enough to dodge, and each time her hand repelled his, her arms hurt from the sheer strength behind his attacks and she could swear she was nearly thrown off her feet every time! She couldn't think of how to retaliate, and it was clear if she stayed on the defensive her arms wouldn't be in a condition to continue! Why did his hits feel so devastating when she was blocking them? Was it the fact he was older and heavier, or that all the people she'd sparred before had focused on speed instead of strength?

After maybe two minutes, one of Naruto's fists got through her defense and slammed right into Hanabi's right cheek with a loud crack. Stumbling, barely able to keep on her feet as she held the growing bruise in shock, she almost didn't catch the blonde's condescending voice. "You're not half bad, kid. Maybe in a few more years, it'll be more fun. So, you going to give up now? Or do you still think that you can take on just 'any' genin? Hell, I doubt you'd even be able to beat someone about to 'graduate' from the Academy, and some only pass because they're teacher's pets!"

Something about his comments didn't 'hurt', but just pissed her off. Removing the hand from her cheek, returning to a fighting stance, Hanabi smirked wolfishly again. "Maybe I should try something a little different. After all, losing to someone known as the 'dobe' of his year is something I won't accept."

Smirking back like a fox, Naruto cracked his knuckles. "You don't have to accept it to still lose. Just look at how the 'unbeatable' Gaara lost to me. Hell, Lee almost beat him and 'he' was considered the runt in his year."

At the same time, they charged one another, Hanabi tackling the older boy and trying to slug him as her hair was pulled and hips slammed by knees.  
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Hinata expected a lot of things when she came to the inn with Jiraiya. She'd known full well the Senin's perverted hobbies, and had gotten a little...suspicious when he hadn't tried anything quite yet like grope her or 'examine' her chest. However, the sight when she entered the three room apartment that the Senin had paid for was 'far' from 'anything' she'd imagined.

It wasn't so much the scattered notes about bust sizes and such that shocked her. No, it was the fact that Naruto and Hanabi were already in there and so...roughed up!

Hanabi looked so terrible, the konoichi thought she'd been mugged and raped! The normally well groomed hair was tangled and wild, making the young girl look like a maniac. One eye was closed, nasty looking bruise growing around it, and the other was bloodshot. Her clothes...or what little she had, were littered with rips, barely able to stay on. As a final kick, her knuckles looked like they'd been bleeding earlier, shallow looking scabs covering the damage from wild punches.

Naruto was nearly as bad, if not more so. His right arm had a nasty, human shaped bite mark, puss still pouring from it. His left hand was missing two of its nails, on the thumb and index finger, like something wrenched them out by the stubs. Orange pants torn to shreds, black shirt with only one sleeve left, he smiled almost sheepishly. Almost belatedly, Hinata saw he'd gotten swollen lips and was holding his gut like it'd been hit by a horse.

Jiraiya was the first to speak, and he sounded strangely amused. "So, kept yourselves busy children?"

Chuckling, the blond boy stood up and limped slightly towards Hinata, casually mumbling, "Your sister's a damn wild-cat. I 'really' pity the poor bastard that picks a fight with her...especially when she grows up."

Hanabi cackled psychotically, asking cheekily, "Admitting that I would've won in another few minutes, Naruto-sempai?"

Hinata wasn't sure what unnerved her more: the fact that Hanabi felt close enough to use the blonde's given name...or that Naruto raised a bloodied middle finger to the amusement of Hanabi.   
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Author's Note: Yeah, that felt better...a lot better. Sorry for the delay, and even more sorry I tried hurrying things up. Hell, depending on how things develop, I might not put them in StarCraft for another couple of chapters. 'Till next time.


	4. Scattered in the Chaos

Authors Note: This is inexcusibly late, and I appologise. Way too many things were going on at once, making this low on the priority list, but for it to take more than five months to make an update? I might as well shove a rusty nail up my..nevermind, on with the story. No matter how good this chapter is, it probably wasn't worth the wait..  
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For some reason, Hanabi was unable to sleep. Her mind was too active, thoughts were spinning too quickly for any chance at rest. In less than thirty-six hours, many of her beliefs were shattered. Now, instead of the comforting solitude of the Hyuuga mansion, she was in a motel in a border-town. She probably dealt with more people in the past three hours than she normally would have in three weeks. Even more confusing to her, however, was the fact that she seemed to enjoy the chaos.

After living her entire life in a strict regiment, around people who knew her every mannerism by heart, this breath of fresh air 'intoxicated' Hanabi. From the uncontrolled, spontanious fight with Uzumaki, to the shock on the face of the inn-keeper as she lifted a crate that was at least three-fourths of her body-weight. Though the senin, Jaraiya, scolded her for that sort of showmanship, the young girl didn't care. Now that was a revelation. The normally respectful Hyuuga heiress didn't care that someone as renouned as the toad-senin was annoyed by her actions.

It was almost as surprising as her new-found knowledge of her sister's abilities. Hinata could blend into a crowd with ease, and become comfortable with any facade. Part of Hanabi wondered if her sister would have been happier as an actor instead of a shinobi. Then she remembered hearing the two guards outside her door, in the seeming eternity before Itachi and Kisame attacked. Hinata had managed to injure Neji, the genius of the clan..that should have been impossible for the timid konoichi. It was as if a dam had broken, and her fighting spirit had rushed out when she wasn't in a facade.

Staring at her older sister for a moment, watching her sleep, Hanabi couldn't help huffing in amusement, "Well, maybe on-ni-chan will be more challenging to usurp than I thought..good. I never wanted to be the clan head without some manner of effort."

Seeing a flash in the corner of her eye, the young Hyuuga looked out the window, her entire body tense. That flash..it resembled steel reflecting light. Very clean steel..like a sharpened blade.

Rapid footsteps pattered across the floor, like a group of people were running. Before she could even blink, Hinata slid out of bed with a pair of kunai in hand, mumbling sleepily, "Aren't you usually a heavy sleeper than I am, ni-chan?"

Hanabi twitched a little, whispering back with a blush, "I couldn't sleep in the first place. What do you think is going on?"

The older sister took a moment to activate her Bakuyugan, and shook her head. Dim light from the window showed that her mouth was in a light frown as she said, "These aren't ninja. Probably rebels from Mizu that happened to pick this motel. There are five men just outside the door, four guarding their center one, classic diamond formation. Two have wakizashi, two of them are holding tanto, and the final is pulling out a box of matches..so they plan to burn the building. We have to get out of here."

Hearing a bell ring outside, Hanabi felt her blood rush in excitement. "The town's militia is probably going to be busy out there, so..I say we deal with the fools inside ourselves."

Blinking a bit, Hinata could only say in dumb surprise, "Huh?"

Taking that as an affirmative, the younger sister burst through the door with a flash, Bakuyugan activated. Catching one of the tanto wielding men off guard, she slammed a chakra laced hand to the side of his neck, knocking him out before he could even yelp. The other dagger-man swung his tanto at the young girl, his blade missing as she ducked under it and gave him a charged open-hand chop to the knee-cap. Watching as he stumbled, she almost launched at him when her skull was yanked into a wall by her hair.

Dazed, holding her head in pain, Hanabi groaned to herself, "Great, father would probably give me a tongue lashing for that bit of tunnel vision. What good is three-sixty vision if you only pay attention to one direction?"

She heard it before she felt it, a sword flying out of its sheath, connecting with bony flesh. Then the pain started to register..and she tried to scream, but her lungs seemed parylized, out of her control. Her left shoulder had become numb, her hand spasming as a dull blade twisted and jiggled, trying to get dislodged from her bone.

A raspy voice from behind her sneered in annoyance, "Damn, I told Kotaru-sama that this was a bad idea. You don't go three days straight without taking the time to clean your weapons! Now my favorite blade is stuck in some brat!"

A calmer voice retorted, "Well, she did take down Goro, and managed to hurt Sani. This is no ordinary kid."

The weapon stopped jiggling, the pain died down a fraction, and Hanabi sucked in a breath of air. Her eyes saw a shadow on the ground, a shadow that seemed 'very' familiar. Looking up, she saw Hinata glaring at the thugs around the younger Hyuuga, holding two kunai threatingly.

The raspy sounding thug mumbled, "What's going on here? That girl has weird eyes too! It's as if there's a freak convention or something!"

Hinata didn't say a word, and didn't move, just glared. Chuckling sadistically, the raspy thug asked, "What's with that look, cutie? Pissed that your friend here was hurt? Don't be, it's her own damn fault for attacking us!"

When Hinata spoke, it wasn't the timid tone Hanabi was used, or the confident one she'd heard earlier. It could only be described as cold anger, bringing a chill to the young girl's spine. "You have three chances to leave quietly, and let me bandage my sister."

The sound of steel pulling out of leather filled the air, and the calm sounding thug asked, "What do you plan to do if we refuse?"

One of the kunai went flying, and Hanabi could have sworn the sick thud was more scary than the blood-curdling scream from the raspy man.

A third voice rang out in mild amusement, covered with experience and respect..that guy must of been pretty old. "So, you're prepared to fight all of us? It's four on one, not in your favor. Yet, on the other hand, our mission wasn't to fight foreign shinobi in a motel, and we're only lightly armed. I must appologise for my subordinates, they are a little..head-strong. However, we 'did' have a job to do, and your sister 'did' interrupt. You can leave with your sister, and whoever else may have accompanied you, as long as you don't continue to impeed our progress."

The raspy man sputtered in pained indignity, "Hey, what are you 'doing'?! Those Shibana cowards may have 'hired' foreign shinobi as their defense! You could be jepordising the entire mission! Are you out of your senile mind, Hisho?!"

Hearing the old man snort, Hanabi could easily imagine a derisive expression on a wrinkled face as he said, "You are truly a fool, Takire. Not only are they of the Hyuuga clan, a blood-line clan, they are from Konoha, a country that wants as little to do with our chaotic land as possible. No, this was just poor luck."

Seeing Hinata twitch, Hanabi mumbled, "Apparently our poor luck..there goes our cover."

The sound of steel clashing downstairs filled the air, and the man now known as Hisho said determinedly, "We'll fight off the Shibana while you get your companions out of here. I can't promise that word of Hyuuga being in the city won't spread, and you may be hunted by our enemies. Whatever your reason for being in this land, you should leave quickly. I wish you better luck than I expect you to receive."

Just as she was about to say thanks, Hanabi felt the sword in her shoulder get pulled out, making her scream in agony. She barely registerd the sound of the men behind her running, or the surrounding chaos, or even the balm that Hinata had just started to apply to her bleeding shoulder. Her mind was focused on the pain, even as it died down. It seemed so familiar somehow, but..she'd never been cut like this before. Was this feeling of deja-vu a repressed memory from the Tsukoyami? Did one of Itachi's tortures involve being impaled? How many different tortures did she forget?

Slowly, she began to breath normally again, and mumbled, "I could have beaten them all if I didn't fight like it was one-on-one."

Hinata paused suddenly, and drew her hands away from her sister's injury, swiping the remaining balm from her palms..then slapped Hanabi's left cheek.

Head spinning after the harsh slap, Hanabi didn't know which was more surprising. The fact that her timid sister hit her so hard, or the fact that her chest sent a twinge of pain when she was hit in the face. Was this some sort of secret attack she hadn't been taught? Why should her heart feel pained when her head was struck?

She was further surprised when Hinata grabbed her by the shirt and said in a firm tone the older girl probably didn't know she was using, "If you ever do something that reckless ever again, I won't be so lenient. Hell, be glad I didn't put any chakra behind it like I 'wanted' to! You could have been 'killed'!"

Putting a hand to her already bruising cheek, Hanabi spat defiantly, "I'm not a weakling, on-ni-chan! I have some skill in the family's style, unlike 'you'!"

Hinata gasped, tears building in her eyes. If she was a normal child, Hanabi might have felt guilty about that. If she was in her right mind, the younger Hyuuga wouldn't have lashed out at someone who'd saved her! All she felt was annoyance as she continued. "Maybe when 'you' were my age, you were fragile. I, however, am not a frail person. No matter how much you've improved, I can surpass you if given the time."

Shutting her eyes, putting a satisfied smirk on her face, the younger girl wondered how her sister would react. Would it be with aggression, acceptance, or sadness? The first two could prove interesting, the third would just show that no matter how much she tried, Hinata was still just an emotional failure, bound to always be second-rate. That would be..annoying, concidering the circomstances.

Too bad Hinata's reaction didn't come 'close' to what Hanabi expected. "You..called me on-ni-chan. You're finally acknowlaging that I'm your..older sister?"

That made Hanabi freeze up, reviewing her words mentally. She always called Hinata 'ni-chan', or something that put her down in her presance. This actually 'was' the first time she'd ever called her on-ni-chan, older sister, to her face.

Opening her eyes cautiously, she felt a new sort of fear when she saw the wide smile, and teary eyes of the older girl. Oh no, that reminded her way too much of that crazed team-mate of Neji just before he..oh please don't say Hinata was going to do 'that'!

She did. Almost tackling the smaller girl, Hinata hugged her so hard it was painful. Was the pain coming from her still unbandaged shoulder, her spine as surprisingly strong arms embraced it, or her sore cheek as it was rubbed against firm breasts. Practically going into song, the older Hyuuga gushed out, "Yes! I finally have my ni-chan showing appreciation for me! Thank you, thank you, thank you! When we get home, I'm going to-"

In an attempt to get out of the death grip, Hanabi had bitten one of Hinata's 'very' prominant breasts, and clamped down on it hard. She could feel the older girl's arms become limp, falling to her sides, and her back become tense. The sound from her sister's mouth was an almost silent squeal, and Hanabi felt a small amount of joy at that. That would teach her to even 'concider' hugging Hyuuga Hanabi.

Releasing the bite, backing away 'very' quickly, that joy died down as she saw Hinata's furious expression, and heard the older girl hiss, "What the 'hell' was that for?!"

Trying to muster one of her confident smirks, hoping she didn't let her fear show, she mumbled, "Well, it got you off of me."

Eyes flaring, looking ready to pounce, Hinata asked shrilly, "You couldn't have just 'asked' me to let go?!"

This time, Hanabi giggled as she retorted, "But that worked so 'well'! I doubt saying 'let go' would have been as quick!"

The sound of dozens of feet rushing towards them interrupted the siblings, and Hinata grabbed Hanabi by the hand, starting to run as she snarled, "We'll finish this later, brat."

For some reason, being called a 'brat' wasn't that insulting..it brought a warm feeling to her chest, really.  
--

Swerving in mid-run to avoid a spearman, Naruto couldn't help wondering why he had to deal with the fighting downstairs. Jiraiya didn't even give a reason why he got to fight in an area that few of these guys could reach. Stopping his sprint, looking around to see he was appropriately surrounded, he pulled out an explosive note and asked, "Are you sure you want to deal with me?"

He expected to see them run at the realization that he was actually a shinobi and armed with explosives, not become berserk. Throwing the note at the crowd near the door, he put what he hoped was enough energy for a three second delay..and it went off after one-and-a-half, catching him in the shockwave. Slamming into a wall, groaning in pain, he mumbled half-heartedly, "Damn, I 'really' haven't improved much at chakra control."

Ears still ringing, body throbbing, he looked up with a grim expression on his face. A good chunk of people were dead, about twelve. Another fifteen were injured but getting up, still shell-shocked. Now to do what he'd learned far too well in his time with the toad senin..kill.

Pulling out a pair of kunai, he mumbled, "That will make it twenty-seven in one day, making the total I've ever killed up to seventy-nine. Great, now I know why Tsunade-oba-chan was so shaken by blood..it gathers quickly."

Moving from one dazed person to another, he decapitated each with painless speed, all the way until he reached the last one. Something about that one seemed so familiar. Female, dark hair in buns, nice sized breasts, looked about a year older than him, chinese shirt..was that Tenten? Looking closer, tentative, he saw the girl shake her head, getting the cobwebs out. Huh, amber eyes. Definitely not Tenten, but still..close enough to make him feel mercy.

That hesitation nearly cost him his nose, she grabbed one of the kunai from his holster and took a swipe at him. If it wasn't for his well-trained reflexes, he might have been killed! In a duel of kunai, Naruto tried to disarm her while she tried to 'remove' his arms.

After a long exchange, Naruto stopped trying to disarm her, and girl halted her attack, doing minor probes at his defenses. For what felt like an eternity, the pair swung and dodged, neither putting everything they had in the attack. The girl's eyes looked wild, frantic. For half a moment, he concidered trying to talk some sense into her, but thought better of it. He'd just slaughtered all of her comrades, anything he could say wouldn't change that. Yet he still didn't want to kill her, either. He'd spent too long fighting her with his conscience to return to the cold killer.

The stalemate ended as she launched a foot, catching him in the gut harshly. Damn, was she wearing a steel-toed boot? Going on instinct, he swung one of his kunai upwards, and fresh blood was spilled, a vicious cut to the girl's jawline. Before the guilt could register, she leaped at him with her eyes narrowed in fury. Side-stepping her, Naruto kicked the point he'd sliced with everything he had, hearing a sick crack.

Feeling a new lump in his throat, he was almost glad he heard approaching feet and fresh battle cries. Checking her for a pulse, feeling a steady one, he sighed. Well, she was still alive. He may have broken her jaw, but he hadn't killed her. Was this how Haku felt whenever he had to fight for Zabuza? Empty whenever he killed, glad whenever he could spare someone..how could anyone live this way, with this much blood on their hands?

Just the thought of Haku made the boy sigh in depression. When was it that he lost his bright view of the future and became bitter inside? When Sasuke left, or when he killed someone with his own hands for the first time? Had it already started when Zabuza and Haku died just as he started to respect and like them? How many of the people that died because of him already could have been his friends in different circumstances?

Five men ran into the room, one with a kunai already in his shoulder. Staring at them with a detached expression on his face, he mumbled to himself, "That will make the count for the day thirty-one, and overall count eighty-three."

Jumping at them, face strangely serene, he wondered how the other genin would react to this new side of him. Would they compliment him for becoming more mature about the grim parts of life..or be scared at the lack of his once customary energetic glow? At the monster he'd become in so little time..  
--

The streets were barely any less chaotic than inside the buildings. At least outside, Hanabi didn't have to worry about enemies hiding behind the next door..they were all in the open, clashing. There didn't seem to be any real tactical point to it, like every one of them was only concerned with causing more slaughter. For a moment, the young girl felt glad she had a poor sense of smell. Otherwise, she might have nightmares every time she had a papercut after this.

Hinata stood close by her, slowly leading her towards the outskirts of the village, slicing anyone who came in their way across the wrists. Either she didn't know some of them could die from the resulting blood-loss and distracting pain, or didn't care. She seemed to have a single objective in mind: get Hanabi to a safe area.

The few that managed to get around the older Hyuuga, or just had the poor luck to leave a building and meet Hanabi, were each knocked out cold by chakra laced palms. Yet despite their efficiency in dealing with attackers, their speed left something to be desired. No longer were they running, they weren't even doing a decent walking pace. Hanabi could swear she could 'crawl' faster than this.

Another managed to get by her sister's notice, and Hanabi caught him in her divination. Launching sixteen well aimed chakra-hole slams before she lost the hold over his legs, she then used the man's pained stumbling to her advantage, driving one final shot under his chin.

Hinata's voice sounded a little disturbed as she asked, "You honestly have a divination at your age? What's its range?"

Ignoring the sound of someone screaming as the older girl nearly removed their hand all together, Hanabi said in a nonchalant tone, "It's one-and-a-half meters forward, twenty-three centimeters behind, and almost nonexistent at the sides. What do you have?"

Hinata visibly flinched, cutting off some poor samurai's fingers in the momentary lapse of concentration. "Three-quarters of a meter all around, and even then it doesn't hold them well. Last time I showed father mine, his exact words were.."

Clearing her throat, Hinata did an overly deep, extreamly fake male voice as she impersonated their father. If it wasn't for the sounds of battle, and the constant threat of death, it might have been humorous. "'If you are unable to do it correctly, do not waste my time and your energy. That might work against the canine that the Inuzuka in your team owns, but even a four-year-old child can walk up to you with that disgraceful aptitude.'"

Now Hanabi felt the need to cringe. "Yes, that sounds like his sort of evaluation. If it isn't perfect, he'll turn even a minor slip into an embarrassing lack of attention and ability. Still, I tend to feel good when there are details he doesn't complain about."

Ducking under an ax, cutting yet another wrist, Hinata sighed. "So, you get verbal beatings from him as well?"

Making a similar exaggerated voice, the younger girl quoted one of the most common lectures she received. "'The Hyuuga clan is known for its power and intellect. If you don't think out each move carefully, any strength you may have will be beaten by someone who uses it against you. Look at the example of Nara Shikamaru, a recent chuunin. His physical abilities are pathetic, yet his tactics are brilliant. If you continue in this path of improvement, you'll damn yourself to be outsmarted by someone far weaker than yourself. Don't continue to be such a fool, be the one who dictates the pace of the battle.'"

Either the fighting was getting thinner, or people were starting to get out of Hinata's way. In what was perhaps the first time she didn't have an attack to repel, the older Hyuuga sounded sympathetic. "It kind of says something when he even demeans his supposed favorite. Maybe he was hoping for a son.."

Chuckling hollowly, Hanabi retorted, "That can't be it at all. Men are more likely to have my mentality of 'beat the enemy into submission', instead of the psychological stuff he was trying to drill in. Maybe he just wants a younger version of himself?"

Outright groaning in disgust, finally a good distance from the fighting, Hinata mumbled, "Don't even 'try' to make me imagine what he was like at our age. It's disturbing..will you be all right on your own if you stay here?"

Taking in her surroundings, Hanabi took note of each hiding place and defensive position. Mostly one-story buildings, an apple tree between each one for at least two-kilometers. The fighting was surprisingly far behind them, so it couldn't be too hard to avoid trouble.

Deciding on an empty bank, Hanabi pointed to it and replied, "I'll go behind the counter in there, you can go back and get Jiraiya-sama and Uzumaki-san. It wouldn't do for us to get separated from our so-called 'guards'."

Nodding, the older Hyuuga ran back towards the core of the war-torn village. As the younger girl moved to hide in the building, her eyes saw something in one of the window reflections. There was someone jumping from roof-tops..someone with an orange jumpsuit.

Her incredulity was astronomical. He was clearly not in the motel anymore..and Hinata wasn't going to know that. Starting to run towards one of the many uniform two-story buildings some blocks away, a little impressed at the speed he was moving, Hanabi mumbled, "Sorry, on-ni-chan. You might have enough sense to leave the building if you can't find him, but..I can't risk that. Not when things between us have been getting so interesting. It shouldn't be too hard..just cut him off when he's moving like a squirrel. I have to run faster than I ever have before for what looks like a seven kilometer distance, too.."

It didn't help that she had to keep her pace frantic, her direction straight, and try not to be killed by the surrounding war-zone. Her breathing started to become ragged after she'd covered maybe an eighth of the distance..not a good sign. Wait, he was starting to get bogged down fighting on one of the roofs. It never crossed her mind to wonder why there were combatants on the roofs until she felt something skim through her long hair..an arrow.

Adrenaline spiked in her blood as she moved with a new purpose, and renewed vigor. Maybe trying to be a hero wasn't such a good idea..  
--

Jiraiya was many things, but not a moron. This was too chaotic to be a battle, most of the fighters were civilians with rusty blades and poorly carved arrows. Some of them didn't even have a bow to shoot the arrows with, and some of the fighting didn't make sense, with people who'd fought side-by-side turning on one another in an instant. Then there was the fact that so many of the fighters seemed mindless, uncaring that they might die, only caring about causing damage. Hell, he'd even seen some of the clashing people biting one another in their ferocity. Someone was using this as a cover..but how did they make civilians so aggressive, and why would they need this much chaos in a border town?

He heard an almost childish giggle behind him, cold and calculating. "So you are the great toad senin..impressive. It appears that the Hyuuga-hime chose their protectors wisely."

Turning around, Jiraiya saw nothing but shadowy mist, and a tall figure obscured by it. Cautious, he mumbled, "Wasn't Itachi and Kisame assigned this one by your organization?"

The strange man's head swung from side to side in the darkness, tone amused. "So sorry, the nine are not your only enemies. In fact, they may be your most valuable allies in the storm to come. A shame, really. If they'd captured the girl, Hinata, or the Uzumaki boy, they could have stood a chance at slowing us down."

Eyes narrowing, the veteran shinobi asked, "What is so important about that girl? She's considered a failure in her own clan, has barely above average chakra in her body, and a pair of good eyes that they could have easily taken from her sister!"

What looked like a metalic wing came from the stranger's shoulder as he answered the senin, making soft clicks. "Concider her a..port for damaged ships. Given enough time in her body, with its unique energies locked away, even the most mangled of powerful objects will be restored to its original state. While she was in the hospital during the Chuunin exams, one of our men implanted a piece of one such item into her. It hasn't had time to fully restore, but if used in the correct way, it could still hamper our assault. Yet it remains an important part in our plans..plans that the Kyuubi tried to halt so long ago. Once again, someone that may have been a great ally to you, who feared what we could bring, and your people prevented it from finishing its work."

Feeling his blood run cold, somehow keeping his voice level, Jiraiya asked, "What sort of plans would make a demon that powerful afraid?"

Chuckling, another wing-like appendage came from the man's other shoulder. "That isn't your concern at the moment, old man. What you should be worried about is saving the Kyuubi's holder and the younger Hyuuga-hime. They're almost in position, almost where their true nightmare begins."

The clouds of shadows around him began to slowly move towards the senin, and Jiraiya could hear more of the crazed people from outside rush to their position. Preparing to use a rasagan, he almost didn't hear the man in front of him start to cackle loudly, pulling out a weapon he'd never seen before. Strange, curved handle with a cylinder, small hole with barely visable curves inside the barrel..most likely a projectile weapon.

Practically feeling the shadows try to grab onto him, hearing swords leave their sheathes behind him, the silver haired veteran finally finished creating a rasagan as the enemy in front of him whispered, "Now, let's see how the great toad senin, Jiraiya, can hold off the Tsviet, Nero the Sable."

And with a twitch of Nero's finger, the weapon made a sharp crack..  
--

Another thirteen dead by Naruto's hands, and he started to notice something. Very few of these people were orginized in any way, and they didn't seem to be focused on any particular area. Hell, when he tried to take a leak, he'd seen at least five bodies and two men beating one another with severed limbs! He wasn't the sharpest person, but even he could realize that this made no sense. Even in a battle between hate-consumed armies, there would be a 'fraction' of the people running away!

So now, here he was, jumping from building to building in what could only be described as a sensless riot. For a moment, he concidered running out of the town all together and waiting for the fighting to die down..then he saw the girl he remembered was named Hanabi running through the streets, arrows nearly hitting her with every step. Cursing his luck, he leaped towards her on the building tops, throwing kunai at each archer he could reach. Most of them didn't pause even as the blade sliced off a few fingers, confirming the idea that something wasn't right with these people.

Snarling, crossing his index and middle fingers into an 'X', he screamed hurridly, "Kagebushin no jutsu!"

Dozens of shadow clones formed around him, each leaping at an individual fighter with the intent to cover the original and Hanabi. The resulting mass of orange was almost blinding to even Naruto, but he kept focused, even as some of the clones were dispelled without warning. Grabbing the young Hyuuga girl from the street, he dashed into what looked like an empty bakery with her in hand, then shut the door with a flash.

Feeling the memories of the clones rushing into his mind with more frequency, the blond dropped the girl without a thought and mumbled to himself, "Great, there's a moving shadow out there and it's slaughtering the kage-bushin faster than they can move. Seems to be able to attack two at a time, and aim for a new target within half a second. As long as the door stays shut, maybe it can't come in."

Hearing Hanabi say something that sounded like a grudging thanks, but not paying attention, something caught his eye. Part of a green metal sign, out of place in the bakery. Written across it in worn out paint was romanji, and it didn't make sense to him. 'araS raM ot emocleW'.

He almost jumped out of his sandles when Hanabi spoke again, her breath tickling his leg through one of the arrow holes, reminding him that there were plenty of close calls out there. Shaking the strange thoughts out of his mind, he mumbled, "Can you repeat that, I'm kind of on an adrenaline high."

Where he expected a snort of derision, the young girl whispered, "That's understandable, given the situation. How can anyone 'not' be dazed after a battle like that?"

Before he could voice his thanks at her understanding, she continued, "I think that it's written backwards, the capital letters are on the oposite ends..'Welcome to Mar Sara'..what do you suppose that is?"

Shaking his head slightly, trying to remember some of his senses, Naruto mumbled back, "I can't tell, but I've got a bad feeling in my gut. The same sort of sick feeling I got just before the fighting outside started, only..unfocused. As if instinctually, I know I should stay away, but I don't know why."

Neither moved for a moment, the only sounds in the building were the ragged breaths as they recovered from moving quickly without a moment of pause, and the clashing outside. Naruto started to notice something about the sounds out there. Some of the people sounded sane, yelling comments to one another and asking what the hell was going on. So there 'was' an attack sent by regular people..but why were there so many crazed, impossible to predict people that only seemed concerned with their next kill, not caring who it was or how likely they'd die to do it? Did that happen before, or after the normal armies started to clash? Were those armies, whatever they were, still fighting one another despite the insanity engulphing the town? Or had they temporarily joined forces to repell the berserkers?

All thoughts of what was going on ended as he heard footsteps above, more deliberate than all of the others, from someone light-weight. It was like a shinobi was looking for someone, and didn't want to hide their presence..if it wasn't for all the blood that hovered in the air, Naruto could have probably found out who it was by scent. Still, he took a guess and yelled, "Hinata, is that you up there?"

The footsteps halted, probably trying to figure out where he was before trying to move..then he heard quicker footsteps, like the person was running, and before he knew what was going on, a woman burst through the very door they'd come in through..and it wasn't Hinata.

Though similar in build, this girl had a satisfied smirk that Hinata would never have, and a sword strapped to her hip at an angle. Her clothes were hard for him to identify, tan and covering her from upper thigh to lower neck, like a one piece suit, with elaborate, decorative buttons going down the middle. Putting a hand to her raven hair, just barely longer than Sakura's had been before he'd left, the woman mumbled, "So, you're the pair that Nero wanted to get rid of. It's convenient that you went into hiding here. Before I..send you two off, do you have any last words?"

Pulling out a pair of kunai, Naruto snarled, "Whoever you are, you won't take me down without a fight!"

Holding a small controller like one for a tv set, pointing it at him, she mumbled confidently, "Who says I have to 'fight' you?"

Eyes widening in confusion, hearing a buzzing sound behind him, he almost didn't hear Hanabi scream in terror. Spinning around to look at her, his mind almost didn't register what he saw. A purple mist was coming from the green sign, growing, swirling, and his body felt a strange pull towards it. Within seconds, the sign was completely engulphed, and the mist was still growing. Hanabi grabbed onto a shelf, no longer screaming but staring in disbeleif as her legs started to rise, pointing towards the mist. Naruto felt his own body start to lose weight, slowly drifting towards the mist, and he grabbed onto the same shelf. Why didn't he feel wind, why was he almost floating towards it?

Just as he felt things couldn't get worse, he saw Hinata jump through the door, throwing a fist at the strange woman, knocking them both towards the mist and making the controler fly inside. The young Hyuuga didn't even have a chance to land on the floor when she started to float closer to the mist. Watching in horror as both young women floated in, the brunette was the first to touch it, and she screamed in pure agony. His mind was screaming to help Hinata, but she was too far for him to reach. The only way he could have a chance at grabbing her hand was if he floated off after her. That would doom him to the same fate.

Hanabi apparently didn't care as she practically launched after her sister, the two girls grabbing one another's wrists, and the younger sibling grabbed Naruto's leg just below his kneecap. The sudden weight made him lose his grip, and if it wasn't for his quick reflexes then he wouldn't have grabbed the still open door. For half a moment, he wondered if he should be glad that the pair were safe..then he decided to just yell, "GIVE ME A WARNING NEXT TIME YOU PULL A MOVE LIKE THAT, BRAT!"

Hanabi winced at that, mumbling, "No need to shout, it's not like that thing is making any noise, and I'm not deaf."

Before he could think of an appropriate retort, an arrow flew through the open door, catching him in the left armpit. Letting go with a yelp, pulling the arrow out without a thought, he heard the two girls scream and looked with a mix of guilt and fear. Hinata's body was almost completely covered by the mist, with only a small part of her arm and her face above it, shedding tears from the sheer amount of pain. Hanabi's face was just as pained, and only the tips of her fingers had touched the purple smoke.

Though it happened in less than a second, it felt like an hour as he watched Hanabi's grip falter, and the sisters were separated. Feeling the young girl grab onto his leg with both arms now, feeling her pained sobs, he braced himself for what he thought would be a violent death as his own body began to touch the mist.

The nerves on his legs felt like they were on fire, elicting a roar of furious agony from the blond. It went straight to his brain, nearly blinding him with its intensity. Just as he was about to try something with his chakra, anything to get out, the Kyuubi's mental voice boomed through his skull loud. Don't struggle against it 'now', you fool! We'll be between worlds!

Before he could mentally ask what the demon meant by 'between worlds', he passed out.  
--

Sore beyond imagination, Hanabi slowly opened her eyes, not completely awake. Desert wastelands as far as she could see, not a single living creature in sight other than Naruto. As the knowlege that Hinata wasn't there sunk in, a cold burn went through her heart. Her sister was gone, just as things were getting interesting between them. All of the possibilities between them were null and void, and the sisters might have been thousands of miles apart..her anger at the situation turned to Naruto. 'He' let go, and sent them all to this strange place.

Standing up slowly, glaring at him as he got to his knees, hearing him mumble something about not being trained for the desert, Hanabi snarled, "You stupid excuse of a shinobi, how the hell could you let go and send us here?!"

The blond winced before he stood up quickly, growling back, "How could I let go? I was fucking SHOT in the ARMPIT! Besides, I'm not the one who let go of Hinata because my fingers felt a little sore, brat!"

Quickly walking up to him to stomp on his foot, irrate that he claimed she 'consciously' let go of Hinata, she almost concidered not saying a word with the way he yelped. Almost. "I meant the shelf, whisker boy. A shinobi is supposed to be able to react quickly, and last time I checked, you shouldn't let go because you felt 'surprised' that someone else grabbed onto you!"

He just spat on her face in response, and Hanabi recoiled in disgust, swiping the moisture from her nose before tackling the blond. Putting everything she could into each hit, not caring if she killed him, all the young girl wanted was to feel in 'control' of a situation. Control, something she had lost for the first time when Itachi held the knife to her throat, a seeming eternity ago. The fact that Naruto was fighting back, and the pair rolled around hitting one another just further frustrated her. He had no right to retaliate, no right to even think he was on 'her' level. She was a Hyuuga, a member of the strongest clan in Konoha, and a boy with a nothing name like Uzumaki should know his place!

Taking a vicious punch to the cheek that would definitely cause a bruise, Hanabi slammed her knee into his groin in retaliation, and slammed an open hand into his chest. Warning alarms went off in her head when she didn't feel a burst of chakra go through her palm, making her hesitate long enough for Naruto to stand up, lifting her by the hair, then tossing her face first into the harsh sand. Trying to soften the landing, she tried to focus chakra into her palms as she landed..and no chakra gathered at all, letting her hands get cut open on some of the sharper grains of sand.

At that point, both paused their struggling. Naruto was breathing hard, eyes narrowed in still unvented frustration. Hanabi, on the other hand, was scared out of her mind. From the age of five, she was completely aware of her chakra system, and the amount inside of her body. Yet, for some reason, she couldn't feel 'any' inside of her. It wasn't the same as exhaustion of her reserves, that would make her groggy and barely conscious. This was more like it was sealed from her reach, outside of her ability to feel. Her already shaken mind felt ready to outright shatter, as if she'd lost the sense of taste. No, taste was more of a pleasant sense, this was like losing the use of one of her ears, a very part of her being. Desprite to feel 'something', she began the handsigns for the Bakuyugan, feeling nothing go between her fingers, or across her body..not even her eyes. In her frantic state, she didn't see Naruto kick out at her until it was too late, and she felt his leg slam into her gut. If she'd been in her right mind, Hanabi would have grabbed the foot and bitten into it, using his own attack as a chance for her own. Instead, she let it hit her as hard as it possibly could, rolling across the sand from the force, feeling tears start to come down her eyes.

After what felt like an eternity, she heard her companion mumble, "Look, I know losing your sister has to hurt..who am I kidding, I DON'T know. I don't even HAVE a family! Just..listen. Fighting each other isn't going to do her, or us any good..well, it might make us feel a little better, but not improve the place we're in or how we got here. Look, do you understand what I'm 'trying' to say at least?"

All she could think to say was simple, and even she had a hard time hearing what came from her mouth. "No chakra.."

The boy paused, a strange expression passing over his face as she said that. A combination of worry about how they could survive, and releif from a burden. Whatever that burden was, he tried to keep his voice even as he asked, "Can you repeat that, kid?"

A little louder, voice borderline shrill as she began to break down, Hanabi said as clearly as her frazzled mind could, "I can't use chakra, I can't 'feel' chakra. I..I'm scared, without chakra..I'm nothing! Just a 'weak' little kid, someone who can't do 'anything' useful!"

Shutting her eyes, letting the sobs shake her body, the young Hyuuga felt helpless. Nothing she could do was important, there was no way she could fight a serious enemy, or look beyond walls, or..'anything'!

Feeling a strange pressure on one of her hands, Hanabi opened her eyes to see Naruto putting a torn piece of his jacket on it, making a very basic bandage. It was too loose when he finished tying it, like he'd never had to treat a wound before and didn't want to cause any more pain than necessary. "Look, for most of my life I was concidered a loser. I learned the hard way that just because you don't always come on top doesn't mean you're bad. So..just do what you can each day. It might not be much, but it's better than nothing."

Letting him start on her other hand, not bothering to tell him of his rudimentary mistake about the tightness of the bandage, she asked, "Why are you suddenly being so..so kind when I drove my knee into your crotch less than three minutes ago?"

Putting on what could only be described as a fox-like smile, filled with mischeif and confidence, the young boy's next words would stick with Hanabi for the rest of her life. "We're going to be seeing a lot of each other around here, and we might as well work together. No sense in fighting your only companion when you can avoid it, right?"

Feeling her respect for him grow conciderably, and the frantic terror in her heart lessen to a managable level, the young Hyuuga decided that perhaps being stuck with this boy wasn't so terrible..he may be a brash fool with no major standing back in Konoha, but there was definitely something about him that made him stand out from the crowd. Not the orange jumpsuit, but something about his attitude towards life felt..reassuring to her. Besides, he was a shinobi. No matter how low of rank, he was still trained to deal with hostile environments.

Her growing mood took a nose-dive, however, when she noticed something. Something that should have caught his attention the moment he grabbed a water-flask from his jacket, and made her think that they might not survive. "Um, why are you trying to drink from a flask with an arrow through the bottom?"

Cringing, Naruto groaned helplessly, "Shit, I thought that wet feeling was my sweat from fighting back in the village!"

Staring in disbeleif, watching as he threw the dry flask to the ground dismissively, Hanabi had the sudden thought that chakra wouldn't have been able to help them. Not with a guy that unobservant, anyway!


End file.
